The Sounds of Silence
by Leather2Lace
Summary: When the BAU is called to Manhattan to investigate a series of brutal stabbings, the team is taken for a spin as they trail behind a criminal mastermind with the city beneath his heel. How long do they have before another body lands at their feet and just how will this affect the budding relationship of two agents when a new player is thrown into the game?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! Just wanted to let you know that this is only my second CM story (completely unrelated to Predetermined Fates) and I'm trying something new this time. I obviously do not own Criminal Minds or its characters. Let's not talk about what would happen if I did. Please let me know what you think; I love reading your reviews and most of all, enjoy!**

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**I **

Typing away at her computer with ferocious speed, Mackenzie came across a hidden line of code in the sequence she was studying. Frowning, she highlighted the bar and began to decode it. Seconds later, a video feed popped up on her screen revealing a secluded alley. Two men were having an animate conversation; one was waving his arms back and forth while the other crossed his bulky arms across his chest. Squinting, Mackenzie leaned closer to the screen and enhanced the image. Once she could improve it no more, she stared intently at the younger man's face. The other was only visible from behind. Suddenly, the man facing the camera froze, lifted his arms above his head and began shaking his head furiously. As Mackenzie zoomed in closer, she saw his lips moving quickly and the reason for his fear. Something shined in the hand of the taller one and as he approached the frightened man, Mackenzie saw that it was knife. Gasping, she pulled up a call from her computer and put on a headset.

"911, what is your emergency?" the operator asked her.

"There's a man, he's about to be attacked in an alley." Mackenzie's altered voice said.

"With who am I speaking with?" Mackenzie heard the audible tap of keys as the operator tried to track her location. _Good luck_.

"They're on the corner of 8th and Broadway. Hurry, I think he's going to kill him." Mackenzie hung up and continued to stare at the scene before her. The attacker had pounced on his victim during her call, bringing the knife down with impressive force into the younger man's chest and face. Wincing, she counted at least 30 stab wounds before the murderer became too tired to continue. When he was finished, he tore off the younger man's shirt and began to carve something into his chest. As he stood, he did something that sent a chill down Mackenzie's spine: he looked right at her and smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

**So sorry I only put 1 chapter up. My laptop crash and died and I'm pretty sure I performed a miracle to simply send the story to my desktop. Enjoy!**

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**II **

"Why don't you just admit it?" The first blonde asked with an exasperated look on her face. The conversation had begun over 10 minutes ago and the two had gotten absolutely nowhere.

"Because there's nothing to admit Pen." Emily huffed as her friends shared a look. Raising an eyebrow, JJ crossed her arms as if scolding Henry.

"Oh please," she rolled her eyes for emphasis. "We've all seen it. There's no point in hiding it anymore."

"You've all seen what you want to see." The brunette mimicked her friend's expression and waited for them to give up. _Not likely. _

"We don't _want_ to see our boss and best friend making goo-goo eyes at one another but alas," Penelope sighed overdramatically. "It is there."

"You're all delusional. How many times do I have to say it?" Emily rose from her seat and went into the kitchen to pour herself another glass of wine. "I. Do. Not. Have. Feelings. For. Hotch."

"Yea and I'm a soccer mom." JJ scoffed.

"And Morgan's ugly." Garcia added.

"And Reid's a player."

"And-"

"Alright, alright." Emily waved her hand, stopping the blondes before they continued.

"So you admit it?" JJ asked enthusiastically.

"No!"

"So you're still in denial?"

"No!"

"So you just don't want to tell us?"

"No!"

"Aha!" JJ clapped and Emily groaned.

"Don't you have a kid to go feed or something?" Emily mumbled under her breath.

"Will's got him." JJ waved a hand in dismissal and took a swing of wine.

"Why are you so adamant about hiding this Em?" Penelope topped up the glasses as she asked.

"Because there's nothing to hide!" she threw her hands into the air, almost knocking over the bottle.

"You're seriously going to tell us that you feel _nothing_ for him?" Garcia looked incredulously in Emily's direction.

"Well, not nothing just not…_that._" She shrugged slightly before taking a small sip from her glass.

"All those times the two of you hung out with Jack were just…" JJ rolled her wrist, signaling for Emily to finish her sentence.

"For him." the blondes raised their eyebrows. "Jack, not Hotch."

"Right." Penelope snickered.

"Jack lost his mom. I'm just trying to-"

"Fill that void?" JJ answered.

"Yes. I mean no." Emily shook her head in confusion. "Can we just drop this _please?_"

"To be continued." Garcia whispered as each woman finished their glass. Hours later, the three hadn't move (except for the additional top up) and the time had flown past them. Glancing at the clock, JJ sprang to her feet and immediately regretted it. The room spun a little as she plopped back onto the couch.

"It's three in the morning. I think I should be heading home." Her words came out slightly slurred and she swayed when she stood causing the other two to giggle.

"I don't think so." Emily reached for her arm and hulled her back down. "Text Will. Tell him we've extended our girls night."

"Yay, a sleepover!" Garcia squealed like a child and launched herself into JJ's arms, nearly toppling the already dizzy blonde over. She then reached out and pulled Emily into the already clumsy hug with surprising force.

A noise rang through Emily's condo and woke the three women.

"Whatever that is," JJ croaked as she hugged a pillow to her face. "Shoot it."

"Phone." Garcia mumbled and yawned.

"Could be Will." Emily muttered, her face still hidden in the side of the couch.

"Shoot it anyway." JJ waved an arm and all three women sighed in relief as the obnoxiously loud ringing stopped. Seconds later, another ringtone sounded.

"Lord in Heaven, make it stop!" Garcia cried as she placed a hand to her throbbing head.

"_Emily-y-y_." JJ whined as she recognized whose phone it was this time.

"Fine." The brunette grumbled and shoved JJ's foot away as she rose. Wobbling, she made her way to the countertop where the intruder lay. Without checking the caller ID, Emily picked up and cried, "What?"

"_Emily?_" Hotch's voice said and the woman nearly jumped out of her skin.

"H-Hotch." She stuttered, caught off guard by the use of her first name.

"_Are you alright?_" he sounded concerned and Emily felt her stomach lurch. Knocking that up to her hangover, she replied.

"Of course."

"_Have you heard from JJ today? I called her cell and she didn't-_"

"Yea, she's here. Do you want me to get her for you?" By now the two blondes had awoken fully, eager to hear how to the dark-haired duo interacted.

"_No, it's alright. Did I wake you?_"

"No." she lied. She heard Hotch clear his throat before continuing in a much more commanding tone.

"_We have a case. I presume Garcia is there also?_"

"Mhm. We'll be there."

"_Do you need me to send someone to pick you up?_" Hotch had apparently guessed as to why the blondes had decided to spend the night at Emily's.

"We'll manage thanks. See you soon."

"_Bye._" As Emily hung up, she turned to stare awkwardly at her friends.

"Interesting." Garcia rubbed her chin in thought. "Very interesting."

"Shut up." Emily threw the closest object at her; an apple. "We have a case."

"Of course we do." JJ mumbled as she rose from the couch and stretched. "See you there."


	3. Chapter 3

**III**

"Well what do we have here?" Morgan boomed as the three women strolled into the round table room. "Rossi, what's it look to you?"

"Well Morgan," Rossi pretended to evaluate them as each took their designated seat. "It seems to me that our lovely team members aren't as impervious as they thought."

"I'm inclined to agree." Morgan flashed them all a smile as they glared at him over cups of searing coffee. "I thought we taught you not to try out-drinking one another."

"And I thought we taught you not to piss off women with guns." Emily narrowed her gaze. "Unless of course, you'd like another lesson."

"Princess, in the state the three of you are in, I doubt you could take down a toddler."

"If you keep yelling, we're all going to find out." JJ muttered menacingly, causing the men to chuckle.

"You three okay?" Hotch asked as he entered and took his seat. Receiving mumbles and groans from the women, he picked up the remote and decided to take over Penelope's job for now. "We've got 3 bodies in Manhattan; all male, all in their mid to late 20s, all stabbed multiple times in the face and chest and all involved in some sort of illegal activity." Hotch brought up driver's license photos of each man. There were no physical similarities that the team could see. "Also, they were all found with this." With another click, an image of the men's chests was brought up, each with the words 'huic pro vobis' carved into them.

"'This one's for you'." Emily translated. "Latin."

"Any connection between the three?" Rossi asked with a frown as he examined the bodies on the screen.

"Cassidy Newton was a cat burglar; did 15 years in 1994 for stealing over $250,000 worth of jewelry from a house in upstate New York." Hotch explained. "Albert Fox served 18 for assault with a deadly weapon back in 1996 and his brother, Michael did 9 for attempted kidnapping in 2002."

"So they're all hardcore criminals." Morgan pointed out. "Is it possible we're dealing with a vigilante? Someone who thinks he's cleaning up the streets?"

"Maybe but why carve 'for you' into their chests?" JJ pondered out loud.

"For the people? The police?" Rossi suggested. "He might see himself as doing a public service."

"Garcia, I need you to run more personal background checks; married life, income, job, the works." The technical analyst nodded before waving goodbye to her teammates. "Wheels up in 10."

"Greetings crime fighters. I come bearing fruitful, delicious gifts." Garcia appeared on the screen in front of Reid and Morgan. Emily and JJ winced at the volume and ignored the smug faces of their colleagues.

"Hit us with it Baby Girl." Morgan urged her on.

"Keep up because I think I might have just done your jobs for you." Garcia smiled happily. "Cassidy Newton, AKA Catman, stole from a wealthy family in New York, the Owens. Melody Owen, wife of world renowned architect, Alexander Owen, is the sister of Albert and Michael Fox. Still with me?" Everyone nodded. "Now this is where it gets hinky. Albert and Michael haven't had contact with Melody since she married Alexander but they _did_ know enough to guide Cassidy straight to the jackpot in a hidden safe."

"You're saying these three worked together?" Reid asked the blonde.

"Oui, oui mon amie." She replied. "Oh, but there's more." Each passenger on the jet raised an eyebrow as the giddy blonde looked like a 9 year old on a sugar rush. "You see, in '09, all three men were spotted at a bar called the _Dancing Hog_ in downtown Manhattan where a murder took place. Charlize White, a 32 year old accountant, was brutally stabbed to death and had 'huic enim me' carved into her chest."

"'This one's for me'?" Emily looked confused. "Are we looking at the same killer?"

"Seems like it." Garcia beamed with pride.

"What were they all doing at the _Dancing Hog _in the first place?" Rossi asked the group.

"Maybe that's where the brothers met Newton and they decided to go into the business together." Morgan suggested.

"Maybe." Rossi mulled the thought over.

"Let's try to get some rest before we land." Hotch told his team. "I have a feeling this is going to be a long one."

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**Don't forget to review :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**IV**

"Detective Waters?" JJ asked as she approached the desk of a young, tall man with auburn hair. "I'm Agent Jareau, we spoke on the phone."

"Yes, thank you for coming." Waters shook hands with JJ as she introduced the team. "We have a room set up for you." He led them to a conference room with a table and a whiteboard.

"Thanks. We'll get started right away." JJ nodded at the man and watched as his eyes roamed her slowly. Catching the gesture, Morgan put himself between his teammate and the detective.

"We'll let you know when we find something." He said in a deep voice and waited for the man to leave. Sharing a look with JJ, they rolled their eyes and took their seats.

"Alright," Rossi cracked his knuckles loudly. "What'd we got?" A laptop binged and Garcia's bright office took over the screen.

"Honestly people, where would you be without me?" she took off her glasses and gazed at the group knowingly.

"Extremely bored." Emily mumbled and received several chuckles. "What'd you find PG?"

"Gumdrop, I believe the question is; what _didn't_ I find?" Garcia wriggled her fingers to loosen them up before beginning to type. "Remember how I told you the three victims were in a bar when they met?" Everyone nodded. "Well I think I might've found out why."

"That would definitely answer some questions." Reid tucked his hands underneath the table.

"Tis the point, boy genius." Garcia cleared her throat before continuing. "Now, the primary suspect in White's murder was a man by the name of Adrian Hail."

"Wait a minute, _the_ Adrian Hail?" Rossi asked the techie.

"_The _Adrian Hail." Garcia confirmed.

"Who the hell is this guy?" Morgan crossed his arms and frowned as he looked at the picture of the man in question. He was handsome with dark hair and golden eyes and Morgan could tell he wouldn't like what he heard.

"Adrian's a mob boss." Garcia informed them. "He practically runs the streets of Manhattan on every front; embezzlement, drugs, weapons, girls; anything you can think of, he can get."

"And obviously, NYPD can't nail him for anything, right?" Emily sighed, bored with the usual lines.

"Unfortunately my lovely minx." Emily raised an eyebrow at the nickname as the others hid smirks.

"Do we know for sure that he did it? It wasn't someone that works for him?" Hotch asked and Garcia shook her head vigorously.

"It's Hail, there's no doubt about it. The only problem is proving it."

"What does this have to do with our vics?" JJ asked, drawing the attention of the blonde.

"Excellent question Sunshine!" Garcia pressed a few buttons and continued to speak. "The brothers and Newton were being recruited."

"Are you sure?" Rossi looked skeptical.

"Considering the fact the men's bank accounts remained dry even after they hit it big and that they basically abandoned their families for the mob, yea I'm pretty sure." With a smug look, Garcia sat back in her chair and smiled.

"Great work Penelope." Hotch congratulated the woman.

"I know." She blew them a kiss before leaving the chat.

"So we're thinking Hail did these guys too?" Morgan waved his hand over the images of their victims.

"That's the only explanation I can think of." Emily crossed her arms and stared at the faces of the dead as if they could tell her what had happened.

"Alright," JJ stood to stretch her legs. "Let's say Hail committed all four of these murders. How do we prove it?"

"We talk to him." Hotch stated plainly and looked over the faces of his agents before making the decision. "Emily, JJ I think the two of you should take this one." Sharing a look, the women nodded and gathered their things. As they approached the glass doors leading to the parking lot, the remaining members of the team saw two detectives, presumably Waters and his partner, corner the women. Morgan stood, itching to get them away from his teammates, only to be stopped by Hotch.

"They don't need our help." Hotch told the younger man curtly.

"You're gonna tell me that that doesn't piss you off?" Morgan motioned to the scene, surprised that Hotch had stopped him. Morgan only cared for the women on a brotherly level- the same couldn't be said for his boss. He watched the man in question glance in their direction before returning his attention to him.

"It's something I'm sure they deal with on a daily basis." He avoided the question.

"Hotch is right, Morgan." Rossi said. "Everywhere we go, some lowlife tries to make a move on one or both of them and not once have we had a problem."

"Well I don't like it." Morgan huffed as he sat back down and took a file to distract himself with.

"Imagine how they feel." Reid added without looking up from his own papers. Hotch couldn't help but watch the women walk away- leaving two very flustered looking detectives behind- and smile.

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**I'll leave you with this until some more interest in the story surfaces. Thanks for reading and reviewing! **


	5. Chapter 5

**V**

Neither agent was surprised when Emily pulled up next to an elaborate 30-story building complete with a bellboy and valet service.

"May I take your-"

"No thank you." Emily waved away the boy as he approached them. "What you can do is tell me where we can find Adrian Hail."

"H-Hail?" he stammered. "Mi-mister Hail is, uh, not-"

"Before you make up a detailed, yet inadequate lie," JJ squinted her eyes as she read the name tag and fished for her credentials. "Brian, I suggest you-"

"Fourteenth floor, suite 86." Brian replied quickly, not sure whether he was more afraid of them or Hail. JJ patted his arm and smiled before stepping into the elevator, sharing an amused glance with Emily. When the doors opened and the women stepped out onto the 14th floor, they couldn't help but marvel at the extravagant interior. Luxurious paintings hung everywhere, a plush red carpet that had been recently cleaned almost made them feel sorry for stepping on it and the doors to the three suites that occupied the floor looked to be gold-plated. Emily reached out and knocked on room 86, revealing a bulky, bald man in a black muscle tee. Flashing their credentials, the two women eased past him wordlessly and entered the suite. Ignoring the obvious lack of hubris displayed in the home, they took in the occupants of the room, all of which were staring at them.

"Who the hell are you?" a smaller, thin man approached them with his arms crossed. Emily and JJ shoved their ID in his face and didn't miss the uncomfortable shift in the room.

"We're here to speak with Mr. Hail." Emily's voice boomed.

"Mr. Hail doesn't take-"

"Alek, it's alright." A voice called from behind a half-closed door. Grumbling, the man stepped aside and watched as the women entered Hail's office.

"Thank you Alek." JJ smiled at the man warmly; ignoring the nasty look he shot her, and followed Emily.

"What can I do for New York's finest?" Hail asked as they entered, not bothering to look up from the papers in his hand as he waved the two men in the back away.

"Actually Mr. Hail," JJ's voice demanded his attention. "We're with the FBI." A flicker of surprise crossed the man's features at the fact that both agents were women. JJ briefly thought that the man couldn't be older than 30.

"Adrian, please." He motioned for them to sit and rose to pour himself a glass of liquor. "Drink?"

"No thank you." They chimed together.

"I'm Agent Prentiss and this is my partner, Agent Jareau." Emily introduced them as Hail sat back down.

"So formal." The man chuckled into his glass and peered up at the women with bright eyes.

"Emily."

"Jennifer."

"Well Emily and Jennifer," Hail cleared his throat. "What does the FBI need from a lowly businessman such as myself?"

"Oh, I think we all know you're much more than that Adrian." Emily smiled coyly, making it seemed like she had complimented him.

"We wanted to ask you some questions regarding your…employees, Cassidy Newton and Michael and Albert Fox." JJ crossed her legs and watched for a reaction.

"They're not in some kind of trouble, are they?" Hail raised an eyebrow, concern edging into his features.

"I'm afraid they're dead." Emily informed him softly and took in his shock.

"What?" Adrian cried. "How? When?"

"Mr. Newton was found three days ago and the Fox brothers in the days since." Emily said. "All three had been stabbed to death."

"That is…awful." Hail ran a hand through his jet black hair that unnervingly reminded the women of their boss.

"Were you aware of any issues they might have had in the past few weeks?" Emily asked his, leaning forward slightly.

"Issues?"

"Girlfriend trouble, money problems, threats." JJ waved her hand. "Really, anything can help."

"I don't believe any of them were involved with someone and money problems were the last thing from their mind." Adrian seemed to take pride in that.

"Business is going well?" JJ asked as if trying to make casual conversation.

"Oh yes." A smile eased its way onto Hail's lips. "Had to root out a few…bad apples but besides that everything's glorious."

"Glad to hear it." JJ offered a small smile which he returned quickly.

"Could you tell us what the three did under your employment?" Emily asked, drawing his attention back to her.

"Well I met Cassidy about 10 years ago when he worked for my father and he's been in charge of overseas investments since. Michael and Albert came in around 2009 and whipped my security staff into shape." Adrian adjusted his tie before take a sip of scotch.

"If you don't mind me asking," JJ frowned slightly. "You're rather young to have such a successful…operation."

"Yes, I suppose I am." Hail chuckled. "My father taught me everything I know so when he died when I was 18 I just took over the family business."

"I'm sure he'd be very proud of you." JJ rose, followed by Emily and Hail. "Thank you for your time."

"Not a problem." Hail opened the door for the women.

"One more question?" Emily asked and Hail nodded. "Do you happen to know a Charlize White?"

"Hmm…" He seemed to ponder the question. "No, I don't believe I do. Is she alright?"

"She was murdered." Emily said nonchalantly before thanking him.

"I hope you find who did this." Hail called out after them as they neared the exit, the eyes of Hail's employees boring into them.

"So do we." Emily smiled slightly and left with JJ at her side. The women barely even glanced at one another until the doors of the SUV were shut. Without a word, Emily took out her cell phone and dialed Hotch's number.

"How'd it go?" his voice echoed in the car.

"He definitely knows something but I don't see us being able to get it out of him anytime soon." She told him. "He's too comfortable being questioned."

"He didn't bother you, did he?" Hotch's voice softened slightly and Emily didn't miss the grin that formed on JJ's lips. Clearly, the man didn't know he was on speaker.

"We're fine Hotch." The use of his last name clued the man in and he cleared his throat.

"Let's regroup back at the station; Garcia has something for us." He said quickly before hanging up. As Emily put the car into reverse, she avoided JJ's questioning glare.

"So what do you think?" The brunette asked her friend, eager to break their uneasy silence.

"That I better be a bridesmaid." The younger woman chuckled, earning herself a disapproving glance and a smack in the shoulder.

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**This chapter was a little difficult to write as it sets up the board for the entire story. Please let me know what you think and if you want to see anything specific happen. I'll do my best to make sure it does!**


	6. Chapter 6

**VI**

"I'll meet you in there." JJ motioned towards the bathrooms and left Emily to join the rest of the team. Seeing that Hotch was the only one in the meeting room, Emily sighed and entered slowly.

"Hey." She greeted him with a smile. His lips twitched upwards at her presence.

"Hi." He turned his back to the screen and faced her completely.

"Where are the others?" Emily gestured to the empty chairs.

"Setting up a canvas of the three crime scenes with Waters." Hotch explained. "They should be back soon." She nodded and after a brief moment of silence, Hotch couldn't help but ask. "Was he bothering you before? Waters?" Emily chuckled.

"No Hotch, he wasn't bothering _us_." Emily emphasized the last word, earning herself a confused look. "JJ was there too."

"Oh yea," Hotch shifted uncomfortably. "I know."

"Then why'd you only ask about me?"

"Well, you know, I just thought," he paused for a moment and Emily had to contain her laughter. "I mean JJ can take care of herself."

"And I can't." The brunette crossed her arms and raised a perfect eyebrow in question.

"No!" Hotch cried excitedly. "That's not what I meant at all! Of course you can, I just mean that-"

"Aaron?" Emily raised a hand and interrupted him.

"Hm?"

"Take your foot out of your mouth, I'm kidding." She smiled, showing her teeth and Hotch blushed slightly.

"Do you want me to talk to him?" his tone grew more serious and Emily laughed.

"And say what; 'don't flirt with my agents while-'"

"So he _was _flirting with you?" Hotch crossed his arms and frowned deeply.

"Hotch, don't worry about it." Emily took a step closer to her friend. "I appreciate the concern but it's fine."

"Want me to tell him you're with someone?" he asked seriously as the distance between the two narrowed.

"But... I'm not." Emily lowered her voice; the proximity of the two causing her palms to sweat. She risked a glance slightly south to the man's lips and couldn't help but wonder how they would feel against hers. Would they be warm, rough- _whoa, what am I thinking?!_ Her thoughts only accelerated with his reply.

"Would you like to be?" Hotch's voice was soft, almost sensual, as the two latched their gazes onto one another. Studying the color of each other's eyes, the two almost didn't hear the glass door open and close behind them. Both took a large step back and immediately felt cold due to the lack of closeness.

"Sorry to interrupt?" Rossi eyed them questionably before taking a seat. Blushing, the dark haired duo watched as the rest of the team strolled in. Emily didn't miss the pinch on the shoulder JJ gave Dave as she sat beside him and hurried to get a seat that wasn't next to Hotch. Practically shoving Morgan aside, she sat and resisted to urge to bite her already chewed-down nails.

"What'd you got Garcia?" Hotch asked as the technical analyst appeared on the screen in front of them.

"Crime fighters!" the woman's bright office came into view. "I come bearing gifts!" She cracked her knuckles before showering the screen with lines of code.

"I don't even think Reid can understand that Baby Girl." Morgan frowned as the thousands of lines scrolled across the screen.

"Oh come on! It's right there!" Garcia pointed excitedly to her screen.

"We're not all as smart as you, PG" JJ toyed with the pen in her hand and waited for her friend to explain.

"Too true Sunshine." Garcia smiled to herself. "Well, what you're looking at, my lovely band of heroes, is a code sequence that I found embedded into the program used to run security cameras at _every_ crime scene."

"We're listening." Rossi leaned forward.

"All three murders were caught on tape but the only problem is we can't see it."

"Why not?" Morgan asked.

"Someone else got to them first." A sly smile appeared on the woman's face.

"That's not a good thing Pen." Emily grumbled.

"It is but it isn't my love. You see, someone was watching the murders happen _live_ and the same person called in all _three_ attacks." Garcia pushed a few buttons and the team listened intently to all three 9-1-1 calls. All were the same; same wording, same voice, and apparently from the same caller.

"The voice sounds altered." JJ pointed out.

"Somebody give the girl a gold star! That's because it is." Garcia explained quickly.

"Who is it Garcia?" Hotch asked, anxious for a new lead. The blonde techie slumped slightly and frowned.

"That's the problem bossman. Have any of you ever heard of codename Mackenzie?"

"The hacker?" Reid spoke up and Garcia nodded. "Presumably, codename Mackenzie hacked into over 300 bank accounts starting in early 2010. He's stolen over $6,000,000,000 since then but has recently gone off the grid."

"No one knows where to find this guy?" Morgan asked, confused.

"Or girl." All three BAU women quipped.

"That's the problem." Garcia continued. "Even when Mackenzie was active, no one knew where to _start_ looking. He- or she- literally popped up like daisy. Every single account owner didn't even know they were being robbed until it was too late."

"If you know its Mackenzie, why can't you track him?" Hotch frowned slightly.

"They are _good_ Hotch. And I mean crazy good. So good, they make me look bad." Garcia grumbled.

"So essentially," Rossi sighed. "We have nothing."

"I wouldn't say _nothing_." Emily rubbed her chin as all eyes went to her. "We know that Mackenzie protects their program or coding or whatever to an obsessive degree right?" Everyone nodded. "Well, in the seconds it took them to call NYPD about the murders, do you really think they bothered to add measures to protect their voice with the same ferocity?"

"Someone give the woman a kiss for me!" Garcia shouted.

"Oh, he will." JJ whispered under her breath and accepted the fist bump Morgan offered.

"I'm on it like Donkey Kong! Garcia out!" With a ping, the bright office disappeared.

"Who the hell is Donkey Kong?" Rossi muttered and shook his head in confusion.

"Don't worry about it Rossi." Morgan patted him on the back.

"I'm getting too old for this." The older man complained and each member laughed wholeheartedly, no one noticing the unwavering eye contact between their favorite dark-haired pair.

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**I'm going to wait for some interest in the story to accumulate before continuing to post. I have up to chapter 12 written at this point and want to see if I should continue or not. If you like the story (or even if you don't) please drop a review and let me know!**


	7. Chapter 7

**VII**

It was late. Glancing at her watch, Mackenzie couldn't help but roll her eyes at the hour. She turned the key and shut it behind her quietly so as not to disturb the neighbors. Seeing the office light on and the door slightly open, Mackenzie knew that he was waiting for her. Sighing, she swallowed her emotions and rapped the door with her knuckle.

"You called?" she asked as she entered the brightly lit room. The man behind the desk stood slowly and smiled up at her.

"Did you do what I asked?" he raised an eyebrow in question and she nodded once. "Good."

"I've missed you." He told her in a soft, almost caring voice before pulling her into his chest. Mackenzie faltered and grabbed onto his waist to keep from falling. Mistaking the gesture, the man pressed himself into her and kissed her full on the mouth. After a few seconds, Mackenzie realized she had no choice but to participate. Their lips drew apart only when he needed to draw in a gulp of air and Mackenzie tried to ease her way out of his suffocating embrace. "What's the problem?"

"Nothing. I'm just tired." She lowered her eyelids and sighed.

"Well I know a way to wake you up." Scooping her into his arms as if she weighed nothing, he carried her into his bedroom and gently placed her on the bed. Peppering her face and neck with small kisses, he realized that she made no attempt to reciprocate. Grabbing her jaw in his tight grip, he turned her head so that their eyes met. _God what is with that green that makes her so damned inviting?_ Her blank stare did nothing to clue him in on how she felt so he continued to run his hands up her thigh, pushing away the material of her designer dress, until he felt the thin fabric of her underwear.

"Kiss me Mac." He ordered sternly and tightened his grip on her jaw to an almost painful extent. His golden eyes flashed with an anger she had seen too often and she allowed herself a brief moment of fear before complying. Raising her head, she closed her eyes and tried to imagine that she was with anyone else. Her lips touched his briefly, sending a chill down both their spines for two completely different reasons. Parting her lips, Mackenzie nibbled on his lower lip like she knew he liked and nearly gasped when he flipped them over.

"Tell me you want me." He mumbled against her soft, red lips. Pulling away from him slightly, Mackenzie raised herself to his ear and whispered,

"You know I want you." She tried to make herself believe it as he ripped off her underwear and worked feverishly at his pants buckle. She tried to make herself believe that this is what she had signed up for-what she had wanted from the moment she met this man. All the trying in the world never helped as she felt him thrust into her violently for what could have been the tenth time that week. As always, a single tear trailed down Mackenzie's cheek as she contemplated her decisions over the past two years. She knew that even if she lived to be 1,000, she would never regret anything more than meeting Adrian Hail.

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**I know it's short but I'll be posting again soon. I graduate from high school this Saturday so don't expect an update on Friday or Saturday. **


	8. Chapter 8

**VIII**

"Any news Garcia?" Hotch rubbed his eyes as he asked the blonde. She smiled slightly before replying.

"Actually, fearless leader, yes." Everyone perked up at the sentence and gave the techie their full attention. "Well I took Wonder Woman's idea and sent in the recording for sound analysis."

"What'd they find?" Rossi folded his hands on the table. Everyone was tired of the lack of leads they had and any new information would definitely boast their morale.

"They're not done yet but they did manage to send me this." Garcia brought up the recording of Mackenzie's 9-1-1 calls and pressed play.

_"9-1-1, what is your emergency?"_

_"A man's about to be attacked in an alley." _

_ "Who is this?" _

_ "36__th__ and Lexington. Hurry." _Click.

"Now, listen carefully my loves." Garcia played it again, this time adding the software that her fellow nerds had given her. The team eased forward and strained their ears to catch what they had missed.

"There!" JJ cried, shooting out of her chair.

"Wow, you got some hearing there girlfriend." Garcia snickered and altered the pitch so the rest of the team could hear it.

"Is that…water?" Emily guessed.

"And seagulls." Hotch nodded in agreement.

"So Mackenzie lives near water." Morgan deduced. "That doesn't really narrow it down Baby Girl."

"Dost my ears deceive me? Is that doubt I hear Derek Morgan?" Garcia pouted and Derek squirmed.

"Never."

"That's right Hot Lips, now listen again." Garcia played back the recording and waited. Again, JJ was the first to hear whatever it was Garcia was showing them.

"Is that…crying?" JJ frowned, thinking that she was hearing things. Without a word, Garcia changed the pitch again until Mackenzie's sobs were clearly audible.

"Mackenzie's a woman." Rossi announced unnecessarily, earning a nod from the techie.

"That was right after the first call." The blonde lowered her voice. "I guess she was so upset, it took her a while to hang up."

"Alright," Hotch stood. "So codename Mackenzie is a woman who lives near water and obviously knew the first victim, Cassidy Newton."

"That helps but how exactly does that tell us how to find her?" Emily questioned.

"Morgan, I need you to contact anyone Cassidy spoke to, in or out of Hail's circle." Hotch ordered and Derek was already taking out her cell phone. "Don't tell them about the other two victims or that we suspect Hail for anything. Just talk to them about Newton. See who he was friends with, if he was seeing anyone, anything."

"Got it." The man was out of the room in a flash.

"Rossi, Reid, speak to the Fox's sister." Hotch handed them a piece of paper with her address on it. "See what she knew about her brother's 'careers'."

"We'll call you on the way back." Rossi took the paper and lead Reid out the door.

"JJ, Prentiss," the two women knew exactly what Hotch would ask of them. "I want you focusing on Hail. Put together a preliminary profile on him using all the information the NYPD has and what you saw yourselves. We know this guy did it, we just need proof."

"Are we telling them we know it's Hail?" JJ asked her boss.

"Not yet." Hotch shook his head. "We'll deliver the profile and see if they come up with anything without our bias. Garcia?"

"Sir."

"Compile a list of everyone that pressed charges against the Fox's and Newton. We want to make sure we don't leave anything to chance. Also, send me everything you've got on Mackenzie and Hail."

"Be back in a flash." Garcia pinged out and soon enough, Hotch's PDA rang with an email. He turned to open it and once he did, a loud laugh erupted from the device. JJ and Emily sprung from their seats and stared at their boss in confusion. Hotch frowned and tried pressing a few buttons only to be met with more ear piercing laughter. Seconds later, the sound seemed to travel to JJ and Emily's PDAs as well. All three agents didn't have to guess at what had happened as they glanced at their devices and saw large letters spelling out 'TRY AGAIN' flashing on their screens. Their phones rang and expecting a call from Reid or Rossi telling them that the same thing happened to their devices, they picked up. Regretting their action immediately, each agent had to pull the phone away from their ear as the sound of Pacman dying burst from the speakers. Glancing at the devices, they saw the same phrase appear on the screen before they went black and refused to turn on again.

"This chick is _really_ starting to piss me off." Emily grumbled as she tossed the useless device back on the desk before opening the door to tell Morgan not to answer his phone.

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**I'll be pretty busy until Sunday so I hope this can hold you out until then!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Another chapter for you guys before I start getting ready for graduation mass/crying for the next two days. Expect another update late Saturday night when I'm all cried out.**

* * *

**IX**

"Anything?" Morgan tapped his foot impatiently as they waited for a diagnosis. Rossi and Reid hadn't returned from Melody Owen's house and there was no way for the team to contact them.

"God damn, she's good." Garcia cried, growing more agitated by the moment.

"What did she do?" Emily asked her friend as she toyed with the dysfunctional cell phone in her hand.

"She practically rewired everything from the inside out!"

"How is that possible?" Hotch frowned, thoughts immediately going to all the damage Mackenzie could do with the skill.

"I don't know but you can be sure I'll find out!" Several seconds of silence passed with only the audible tapping of Garcia's fingers on the keyboard until she whooped. "Got it! Okay, to reprogram your phones and PDAs, she had to have been within 30 feet of them."

"Which means she's either been in the station or followed us." Morgan sighed.

"How would she know we were here? Even the press didn't know until I told them." JJ asked herself, receiving no reply.

"Well, the device she used was small and compact." Garcia added. "Fit in her pocket and could be activated at the touch of a button."

"So, no way to track it?" Emily guessed in annoyance. The second they thought they had a lead, something happened and snatched it away from them. It was infuriating.

"I never said that." Garcia smirked devilishly at her companions. "To reprogram six cell phones and six PDAs would take a hell of a lot of juice."

"Can you find where it came from?" Morgan sat upright, excited for the first time in days.

"Give me a minute and I can find the color of her underwear if you'd like." Garcia tapped away furiously, a look of pure determination on her face.

"Her location would do." JJ chuckled slightly.

"Gotcha ya sneaky little-"

"Where Garcia?" Hotch interrupted, anxious to see what Mackenzie knew.

"Signal came from right outside the station the day you guys got there. After she latched on, it could be activated at any time and the same signal strength is currently coming from a flat at the Pierhouse in Brooklyn Bridge Park."

"Isn't that-"

"At the base of the Hudson River, why yes it is." Garcia smiled proudly as the team collected their things.

"Great job Penelope." Hotch praised the woman as they rushed out the door.

"What'd we got?" Water approached the team as they passed out their Kevlar.

"We found Mackenzie." Hotch summarized.

"You really think we're going to need those to catch a nerdy little girl?" Waters scoffed as he followed the team out, neglecting to grab a vest of his own.

"Never underestimate girls Detective." Emily shot at him before tossing an extra vest to the cocky detective.

"Oh, trust me sweetheart," the man winked in Emily's direction. "I don't." Before anyone could blink, Morgan was in Waters' face.

"Wanna back off man?" the dark-skinned man frowned as Waters didn't even flinch.

"Derek." Emily placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, easing him away from the cop. "Let's go."

"Yea, Derek." Waters teased. "Listen to your girlfriend."

"I am _not_ his girlfriend." Emily spat the man only to receive a wide smile in return.

"Then why don't me and you skip this circus and play cop somewhere more private?"

"Why don't I shoot you in an appendage you value greatly?" Emily retorted, trying to push her way between the two men before Hotch grabbed her arm, gently easing her backwards.

"You want to waste time with a thief and potential killer on the loose, go ahead." The dark haired man glared at his counterpart. "But not on my case and definitely not with my agents. Now either pull yourself together or sit down and wait for Agent Prentiss to file a sexual harassment complaint against you." With that, the BAU stormed out and entered their vehicle in silence. Emily and JJ shared a look in the back seat of the SUV as Hotch fumed at the wheel. Neither woman expected their boss to react the way he did and it only served to add fuel to the thoughts brewing the JJ and Morgan's heads. Sighing, Emily closed her eyes and rested her head against the seat. Why would Hotch do that? Why did it matter to him that Waters was being a pig? Did he actually care about Emily or was he just annoyed at the loss of time? Emily felt a hand come over hers and looked to see JJ smiling sympathetically. She offered a tight smile back and the remainder of the car ride went by in silence.


	10. Chapter 10

**X**

Pulling up to 132 Furman Street, the team tightened their Kevlar and observed the area quickly.

"Prentiss, Morgan take the front." Hotch ordered. "JJ and I will take the back." No one missed the use of Emily's last name or the fact that Hotch had intentionally paired her with someone else. Shaking the thought, Emily quickly approached the front door with Derek. They were buzzed in immediately as the doorman saw their vests with big white letters saying 'FBI'.

"We're looking for a woman. Quiet, keeps to herself but spends a lot of nights away." Morgan briefly described the profiler they had come up with.

"Most likely between 30-35 years old, extremely smart and above average looking." Emily completed and saw a hint of familiarity in the old man's eyes.

"You mean Mackenzie? Sweet girl; always gives me a card for my birthday and holidays." The man smiled as the agents nodded adamantly. "Should be up in her room. Is she in trouble?"

"Sir, we just want to talk to her." Morgan promised him but the man looked unconvinced as he again took in their bulletproof vests.

"Suite 32, second floor."

"Thank you." Emily smiled briefly before taking off after her partner. They took the stairs to familiarize themselves with the layout of the building and pulled to a stop in front of room 32.

"Hotch, we got her. Room 32, second floor." Morgan whispered into his ear wig.

"We'll cover the alleyways." Hotch's voice sounded in both their ears.

"Mackenzie, open up!" Morgan pounded on the door. "FBI!" Emily nodded and together, the two slammed down the door with their shoulders. Quickly scanning the million dollar suite, the two agents cleared the bedroom and bathrooms in seconds before Emily caught sight of a lean figure escaping out the window.

"Morgan, the fire escape!" she called behind her as she swiftly climbed out the window. A woman glanced up as she continued to make her way down the ladder. Emily only caught a moment's glance before racing after her. "Stop!" The woman hopped off the ladder and quickly sprinted down the alley. Emily could hear Morgan climbing behind her and knew that if she didn't speed up, their only lead would get away. _Not happening_. Emily sped up as she hit the ground with a thud and found herself catching up with the woman. Her white designer jeans didn't allow for comfortable moving and Emily realized that if she reached her hand out, she could almost touch the woman. As she saw a turn coming up, she made a split decision and dove for the woman's legs, crashing both of them onto the hard pavement. Mackenzie cried out as Emily landed on top of her and tried to squirm away before JJ and Hotch caught up with the two and pointed their guns at the woman's head, freezing her in place. Emily took out her handcuffs as she tried to slow her breathing and pulled the woman's arms behind her back. As the handcuffs clicked in place a notch tighter than Emily intended, she flipped the woman over and was shocked at what she saw. Mackenzie wasn't a woman at all; she was just a girl. Hulling her to her feet, Emily took in the looks of shock on her teammate's faces and began to lead Mackenzie towards the SUV before the girl stumbled and fell.

"Great job Agent Bond; you broke my ankle." Her narrow green eyes shot daggers at Emily before Hotch and Morgan took her by the shoulders and heaved her up.

"Yea, well maybe next time you should think twice about running." Morgan told the girl who couldn't be older than 20.

"There's not going to _be_ a next time Agent Morgan." A slight smile came to the girl's face as she saw the surprise evident on the man's features.

"How do you know my name?" he asked as he seated her in the back of the black SUV. Mackenzie shut her lips and gazed blankly in front of her. One by one the agents piled back into the car, seating Mackenzie in between JJ and Emily who kept their eyes trained on the girl like hawks.

"Call the station, tell them we got her." Hotch told the man seated beside him and couldn't help but be unnerved by the small chuckle that left the girl's lips as she shook her head in disapproval.

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**Sorry for the short length of this chapter but I'm not really emotionally stable to write more at the moment. Graduation went great but it was so sad & I've spent the majority of the past 3 days wanting to cry.**


	11. Chapter 11

**XI**

"Something about her seems…off." JJ announced as they observed the infamous Mackenzie behind the mirror. The girl had made herself at home as soon as the two EMTs working on her ankle left. Lucky for her, it wasn't broken at all just twisted and should heal in a few days. That didn't stop the girl from glaring at the mirror as she waited to be interviewed.

"Yea." Emily agreed, crossing her arms and making room for Hotch to watch beside her.

"I think it'd be best if the two of you talk to her." He suggested. "She didn't seem to have a positive reaction to Morgan and me."

"I wouldn't have a positive reaction to you if you'd just dragged me away in handcuffs either." JJ commented dryly but made her way to the door regardless. Before Emily could follow her out, she felt Hotch's hand on her shoulder and turned to face him.

"I'm sorry about what happened with Waters." He blurted out and Emily frowned.

"There's nothing to be sorry for. He's a creep." She shrugged nonchalantly and he nodded in agreement.

"You fell pretty hard, are you sure you're alright?" Hotch took a small step towards her and Emily couldn't help but smile at his concern.

"I'm fine Aaron." Emily assured him softly. The use of his first name always sedated the two; making them believe for just a moment that there was no one else around. She licked her lips and didn't miss his eyes take in the action immediately. Standing toe to toe, Emily could practically feel his breathing quicken and she was sure he could sense hers too. Any closer and there was no doubt in her mind that he'd be able to hear her heart beating out of her chest as well.

"You're sure?" he practically whispered, their noses merely centimeters from one another. Emily had to force her brain to restart as the sudden urge to reach out and touch him flooded her senses.

"Yea." She breathed out, her hot breath practically caressing his lips. "I'm sure." Suddenly it didn't feel like they were talking about her fall anymore.

"You should-"

"Go." She finished for him and reluctantly took a step away.

"Yea." He nodded and cleared his throat slightly. Emily spun on her heel and left the room, willing her heart rate to slow down as she nearly knocked JJ over.

"Did you-"

"No, don't be dumb." Emily brushed the blonde away as they neared the interrogation room.

"Did you want to?"

"Shut up." Emily chucked up her anger to the fact that she had ruined a perfectly fine blazer in the take-down but knew she had to apologize to her friend later. As the women opened the door and took a seat across from Mackenzie, Emily couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity with the girl. _You probably saw her when she hacked your phone_. A minute or two went by in complete silence, the three women competing in a battle of wills as they stared each other down. Mackenzie's snake-like, emerald eyes seemed to take in everything about the agents as she examined them like lab rats. Slightly uncomfortable under her gaze, Emily and JJ mimicked their own expressions of dislike as they watched the girl flick a strand of jet black hair out of her face.

"You two aren't _nearly_ attractive enough for me to sit here and stare at you all day." The girl quipped, obviously bored of the stare-down.

"Well that's too bad," JJ began as she opened up a file and scattered the images across the desk. "Because we're going to be here a while." Mackenzie briefly glanced over the pictures before returning her stoic expression back on the women.

"You think a few bloody crime scene photos are going to sway me?" she chuckled softly and crossed her legs. "You must be new."

"This is Charlize White. She was 32 years old with a 7 year old daughter." Emily shoved the picture forward. White lay sprawled in an alley, her blouse ripped open exposing her stomach and the Latin phrase etched into her skin along with the dozens of stab wounds.

"And I'm sure you know Michael and Albert Fox." JJ tossed the pictures in the girl's direction. Both brothers were displayed in exactly the same position as White.

"And let's not forget, your friend Cassidy Newton." Emily placed his picture on top of the rest and waited for a reaction; one which she didn't get.

"Since when does the FBI investigate the murders of criminals?" Mackenzie leaned back, her wrist full of bracelets clanging against the cuffs as she did.

"Criminal or not," Emily crossed her hands on the table. "No one deserves that."

"How sentimental of you." The girl narrowed her gaze at older brunette.

"We know you knew Newton. We know you _watched_ the last three murders happen live. We know you called them in." JJ summarized.

"And what does that tell you Agent Jareau?" Mackenzie eased forward and frowned slightly. "How exactly does that fit into your profile?"

"You cried when Newton was killed. How well did you know him?" Emily asked.

"Well enough to cry as I watched him die." Mackenzie rolled her eyes at the mundane question.

"He seems a bit old for you." The brunette continued as she evaluated the man's license photo. "I mean don't get me wrong, he's not bad looking. What'd you think JJ?" She handed the photo to her friend and waited as the blonde examined it. Nodding her head, JJ agreed.

"Not really my type but you know, to each her own." JJ turned the photo so that it faced Mackenzie. The girl just shook her head with a small smile.

"So you're _not_ into older guys?" Emily stood slowly and encircled the girl. "Could've fooled us." JJ laughed slightly.

"I thought everyone was into rich, tall, dark, and fresh out of prison." The blonde shook her head in mock disbelief.

"I guess that's just us." Emily joked, causing JJ to snicker.

"Am I being charged with anything here?" Mackenzie straightened herself and rolled her shoulders. As she did, her shirt eased up slightly and Emily caught a slight glimpse of her pale skin. Noticing a dark blue patch on her seemingly perfect body, she approached the girl only to have her lean away.

"Mackenzie," Emily softened her voice and crouched down to her level, no longer meaning to be in a threatening position. "What is that?"

"What's what?" the girl frowned, unaware that both agents had seen the deep bruise. Against her better judgment, Emily reached out and lifted the girl's shirt, revealing a mirage of blacks, blues, and purples from her pelvic bone to where the shirt began just below her breast. Mackenzie flinched away from her touch immediately but couldn't do much with her hands cuffed behind her.

"Who did this to you?" JJ stayed on the other side of the table, wary of the girl's uneasiness.

"No one." She scoffed. "I fell off the treadmill in my apartment three days ago." The lie would have been convincing if her eyes hadn't darted around the room like a junkie itching for a fix. The girl's once hardened jade glare turned into the frightened eyes of a child waking up from a nightmare.

"I know you don't trust us," Emily ignored the scoff. "But we want to help. We know you didn't do this." She motioned to the pictures on the table. "But you can help us find out who did."

"No I can't." she said softly.

"Can't or won't?" JJ asked even though she knew the answer she would receive.

"Both." Both agents eyed one another, the same thought swirling around in their heads; although the teenager in front of them was a criminal wanted by multiple agencies and was probably looking at at least 15 years in prison, everything about her screamed 'victim'.

"We want to help." JJ turned on the voice she used to coo Henry. "But we can't do that if you don't let us."

"You can't help." Mackenzie's wide eyes fixed on the blonde's sapphire gaze with an intensity she had never seen before. "Just let me go."

"You know we can't do that Mackenzie." JJ shook her head slightly.

"My name is NOT Mackenzie!" she cried suddenly, stunning the two agents.

"Then what is it?" Emily asked only to be greeted with silence. "We're on your side. We just want to stop anyone else from getting hurt."

"Good luck with that." The girl scoffed again, a sad smile growing on her lips. Before another question could be asked, there was a soft knock on the glass.

"We'll be right back." Emily promised the girl.

"Take your time." Was her response. As they closed the door behind and they shook their heads, they saw Hotch approaching them quickly.

"She's not going to tell us anything." Emily deduced, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"She's obviously terrified of someone. Whoever gave her those bruises definitely didn't stop there." JJ recounted sadly as scenarios of Mackenzie's life flashed in her mind.

"We have a bigger problem." Hotch handed the women a small stack of photos. "Garcia just faxed those over. They were circulating the internet." Emily and JJ exchanged looks and quickly came to the same conclusion. The first three shots were of Mackenzie walking in and out of her apartment building and room. The last four were of Mackenzie and Adrian Hail locked in a passionate embrace; kissing in front of a window, undressing one another and finally, their silhouettes entangled in bed.

"_Anyone_ could have seen these." Emily quickly scanned through the pile.

"Which means she's in even more danger than she knows." JJ glanced nervously around the room as if anyone in it was a potential threat.

"I think she knows exactly what kind of danger she's in." Hotch folded his arms. "Get back in there and find us something. I'm done being three steps behind this guy." Without a word, the two women reentered the room and quickly showed Mackenzie the photos.

"Our technical analyst found these _online_. Do you know what that means?" Emily watched as the girl glanced searched through the collection, her demeanor dropping by the second.

"That I should have started working on my will." Slouching in her chair, Mackenzie's eyes dropped to the floor in defeat. The photos of Adrian's relationship were most likely taken by a private investigator hired by one of Hail's many adversaries; all of which would pay a future to put him out of business. The photos proved one thing: that Adrian Hail had a weakness and it came in the form of an infamous genius.

"This isn't over yet." Emily said with new found determination. "We can protect you." Apparently, Emily had chosen the wrong career path as Mackenzie burst into a fit of borderline hysterical laughter.

"Protect me?" she cried. "Do you want to know what happened to the last woman that pissed him off?!"

"What woman?" JJ frowned again, the prospect of another victim worrying her.

"What does it matter?" Mackenzie sighed and they could have sworn they saw tears building in the corners of her eyes. "She's dead now and I'm right behind her."

"No you're not." Emily placed a hand on the girl's arm, ignoring the slight flinch. "We _will_ help you and we _will_ put him away."

"If you let me go, he might be able to stop them. He knows I would never tell you anything. He can protect me." Mackenzie's eyes flickered from one woman to the other.

"But for what price?" JJ knelt by the girl. "Your health? Your freedom? Your sanity? Or all three?" Mackenzie took in a trembling breath.

"And who will protect you from him?" Emily chimed in.

"I've survived two years of him." She told the women. "I think I can handle it."

"Well it's not up to you anymore." Emily frowned, growing annoyed at the girl's stubbornness. She stood and Mackenzie's confused gaze followed her. "We're taking you under protective custody under Hail and his crew are caught."

"You- you can't do that." Mackenzie's eyes widened as she tried to stand, only to be held down by the handcuffs behind her back.

"If you don't want to talk, that's fine. We'll just figure it out ourselves and you can go prison for stealing $6 billion." Emily shrugged as if she didn't care and waited for JJ to join her at the door.

"He'll just kill you to get to me!" Mackenzie shouted as they opened the door to leave.

"Let him try." JJ called over her shoulder but not before she heard the girl scream echo across the precinct.

"_You're signing my death warrant!_"

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**Relatively long chapter so I hope you enjoyed it. **


	12. Chapter 12

**XII**

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea." Reid mumbled as Emily and JJ explained what had transpired between the two and their prisoner.

"What choice do we have?" Morgan sighed and waited for the genius to respond.

"We _could_ just let her go." Reid's answer shocked the rest of the team. "We don't have any proof that she's a thief and she's right about Hail protecting her from whoever is out to get her."

"You didn't see those bruises Spence." JJ shook her head as she leaned against the table.

"Hail would keep her safe from his enemies," Emily said. "But who's going to keep her safe from Hail?"

"How do we know she's even telling the truth?" Rossi asked. "About the bruises, her relationship with Hail, everything."

"Rossi, the girl's been traumatized." Emily announced. "Spend five minutes with her and you'd see it too."

"I'm not saying she's had an easy go," Rossi continued. "But she's a known manipulator and liar."

"You think she's playing us?" Morgan frowned as he seemed to consider the possibility. JJ and Emily on the other hand weren't having it.

"Did you see her in there?" JJ asked the men. "She couldn't even hold a gaze after we brought up Hail. She's terrified."

"Or she's acting." Rossi quipped, earning himself a glare from the women.

"So you think Hail's all smiles and rainbows?" Emily crossed her arms defensively.

"Hell no, he's a crazy bastard but that doesn't mean he abuses her. If his enemies consider her a viable weakness, doesn't that mean that Hail _genuinely_ cares for her?" Rossi asked the women.

"There's no way she's going back to him." Emily announced. "Period." The finality in her statement threw the others off. If Mackenzie was telling the truth then her relationship with Hail would be parallel to Emily's relationship with Doyle. No one dared turned that rock over for fear of the worms the lay underneath.

"I already spoke to Strauss." Hotch's voice broke their silence. "She's approved the protection order as long as one of us is with her at all times." Everyone nodded, not willing to compete against the women _and_ their boss. "She also wants her out of the city as soon as possible."

"Where are we taking her?" Reid asked. They knew there were a handful of safehouses in and around the city but exactly how far was far enough when it came to Adrian Hail?

"There's a lodge in the Poconos that she suggested. It hasn't been used in years but everything's running." Hotch explained.

"How long of a drive is that?" JJ asked.

"About 2 hours." Hotch looked over each member as if waiting for a volunteer.

"I'll go." No one was surprised when Emily spoke.

"Are you sure Em?" JJ raised an eyebrow. "She doesn't exactly…like you."

"She doesn't have to like me." Emily shrugged and glanced at Hotch from the corner of her eye.

"Alright Prentiss," he seemed annoyed. "We'll get you directions and a car. You can leave in an hour." The team dispersed, leaving the two alone once again.

"What is it?" Emily folded her arms and waited.

"I don't like you going by yourself." Hotch admitted.

"You know we can't take any more attention off the murders." Emily's voice softened, knowing that Hotch was upset.

"You didn't have to volunteer."

"I wanted to." She admitted quietly and sighed. "I see myself in her Aaron."

"I know. I see it too." His eyes softened and found her gaze. "I know you want to help her; so do I, but you have to be careful. We don't know what Hail will do to get her back."

"I will. Promise." She smiled slightly before taking a bold step and placing her hand in his. A shock passed through the two as their skin touched and both found that they soon had trouble controlling their heart rates. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone." She whispered, causing a rare smile to break on the unit chief's lips.

"No promises there." He chuckled slightly as he entwined his fingers through hers. How many times had he dreamt of holding her hand? Of hugging her? Kissing her? The thoughts came like a tidal wave and Hotch did nothing to stop them. Instead, he took a step forward and his breath hitched as their noses brushed. He found his warm hand encircling her waist and pulling her closer by the second as hers rested calmly over his heart. Surely she could feel how fast it was beating? After a second, their hold on one another tightened and Emily felt her chest press against his. The need to feel closer to him heightened with every breath she took. Breathing in each other's scent was a better drug than either could ever ask for. Staring intently into his hazel eyes, Emily raised the hand on his chest and brought it to the back of his neck. Before she could think of a reason not to, she raised herself on her toes and brushed her lips against his. The feeling of her lips on him made Hotch's vision hazy and soon enough, the gap between them closed. With one final, ragged breath, Emily crashed her lips against his and sighed in content. Momentarily frozen in shock, it took Hotch a second for his mind to catch up with what was happening. Once he did, he wrapped his arms around the woman and pressed her against him. He held the back of her neck as she tangled her fingers into his hair before licking her bottom lip. He felt her moan in approval and open her mouth to him. Toe to toe, chest to chest, lips to lips, the couple explored each other's mouths with an intensity that could set fire to a small city. Hotch found that the back of Emily's shirt had eased upwards, exposing an inch of flawless skin and when he pressed his hand against it, both trembled. He couldn't help but snake his hand further underneath the fabric as she nibbled on his lip. Reluctantly forcing their lips apart, Hotch found a new target: her neck. He grazed his teeth from behind Emily's ear to her collarbone and inhaled as he went. She smiled and closed her eyes, goosebumps forming at the mere thought of Aaron Hotchner's lips on her body. She wove her fingers in his hair, urging him onward as she felt him roll her flesh in between his teeth. She couldn't help the sound that left her lips and only seemed to encourage him as she ground her hips into him. Drunk off the feeling of their bodies melded together, neither agent noticed that JJ, Mackenzie and Rossi had passed the glass doors and momentarily gawked at the scene unfolding in front of them.

"You're telling me I have to sit in a car with Agent Cupid-Smacked-Me-In-Face for _two hours_?" Mackenzie blurted as JJ and Rossi led her to the car. "I don't think I could steal enough money in three lifetimes to deserve this." JJ couldn't help but chuckle as she strapped the girl into a bulletproof vest. Despite their current situation, the blonde couldn't help but feel happy for her two friends. She shared a look with Dave, both communicating the same thing: _it's about god damned time._

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**I've been pretty sick for the past few days so I haven't had the chance to write a lot. I'll pick it back up soon enough.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks for the lovely reviews & comments on my writing maturity! Enjoy!**

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**XIII**

"Think they know we know?" Morgan eyed the dark haired pair as they made their way to the car. JJ shook her head and chuckled softly.

"Look at how hard they're trying to hide it." She pointed out. After the car had arrived, JJ and Dave wasted no time before telling Morgan and Reid what they had seen in the conference room. It came to no surprise to anyone, even Reid, and the team was happy for their friends. They'd be happier of course, if the now established couple wasn't so adamant about hiding it.

"You people are like high schoolers." Mackenzie quipped from behind the blonde, obviously still annoyed at the whole situation.

"And you should still be _in_ high school." JJ turned and turned the girl who had been making it a mission to get on her nerves for the past hour.

"At least it looks like I actually _left_." The dark haired girl commented, biting her lip to keep from smiling at JJ's expression.

"I'm going to enjoy putting you in prison." The blonde narrowed her icy blue gaze and was only further angered when Mackenzie simply broke into a grin.

"Can you even reach the lock Barbie?" she asked with genuine concern. Before JJ could launch herself at the girl, Morgan stepped in between the two and called their attention to the approaching members.

"Is there a problem?" Hotch sent the young brunette an infamous glare as JJ fumed behind her boss.

"Besides the fact that I'm probably going to be brutally murdered in the next few hours and the FBI is too busy sucking each other's faces to care, no not at all." Each member of the BAU stared at the girl with wide eyes- all except Emily and Hotch; they were too busy blushing. Without a word, Morgan took Mackenzie by the arm and brought her to front seat of the black sedan. Although greatly annoyed by the girl, JJ couldn't help but smirk at the result of her comment as Emily and Hotch took a step away from one another and fidgeted anxiously.

"Check in soon." Hotch said, still avoiding everyone's gaze.

"Yep." Emily nodded and practically sprinted towards the driver's side. Shutting the door behind her, she shot a confused look at JJ who shrugged and followed the rest of the team back inside the precinct.

"Are you gonna put it in 'drive' or are we teleporting there?" Mackenzie's annoyed voice broke the spell that seemed to have taken hold of Emily. Wordlessly, the agent reached over and clanked the metal of her handcuffs against the passenger door and Mackenzie's wrist. "Come on, I'm not going anywhere!"

"Think of it as a precaution." Emily smirked as she put the key in her pocket and pulled out of the precinct parking lot. It was going to be a long two hours.

Back inside the station, Hotch had sent Morgan, Rossi and Reid to put together the final touches on their profile of Hail. Dave and Reid had not learned anything of importance during their visit to the Owen estate, resulting in the entire investigation focusing primarily on Adrian Hail. JJ sat at the conference room table and pretended to look over one of the many files Garcia had sent over-via fax of course.

"I can feel you staring." Hotch called her out without looking up from his own file. JJ cleared her throat and forced back a smile. "I take it you saw?"

"Mhm." JJ nodded. "As did Rossi and Mackenzie." The blonde couldn't help but grin at the red in her boss' cheeks. Rarely did they ever see him show any emotion, let alone embarrassment.

"And?" Hotch still refused to meet the woman's gaze, afraid of what he might find there.

"We're happy for you guys. I thought that was obvious?" JJ frowned slightly and cocked her head.

"Were you surprised?" Hotch's curiosity got the best of him. He wanted to know if the brunette had confided in her best friend about any feelings she might have for him. JJ of course, wasn't having it.

"I'm not spilling. Just know that you didn't do anything wrong Hotch." JJ assured the man.

"Actually," he cleared his throat. "she did it." JJ chuckled and shook her head.

"Of course she did. I should've known."

"I take it…you approve?" JJ frowned again, this time in confusion.

"Are you…asking my permission?"

"Well you _are _her best friend." Hotch reasoned. "Isn't that a rule?" JJ laughed wholeheartedly. She was seeing a whole new side to Aaron Hotchner that she did, in fact, approve of.

"Aaron," she began the speech she'd been itching to give for months. "We all know you care for her in a different way than you care for us. We've known for a while and it's not that hard to see that she cares for you too. We _want_ you guys to be happy. Part of me still can't believe it's taken this long," Hotch smiled slightly, the red never leaving his cheeks. "but good things take time, right?"

"Right." He agreed, finally meeting her soft gaze. JJ always had a motherly sense about her even before she actually become one and this wasn't the first time that Hotch felt comforted by her words.

"Do you care for Emily?" she wanted to hear the words from his lips.

"Of course."

"Would you risk losing your job for Emily?"

"In a heartbeat."

"Then you have my approval." JJ smiled softly and patted his shoulder. "She likes dark chocolate by the way."

"Thanks for the tip." Aaron had a feeling he would be relying on JJ's knowledge of her brunette friend a lot in the coming months.

"Anytime." JJ smiled and meant it. She was almost as happy for them as she was the day she married Will. The two sat back down and actually began reading the files they had been given with renewed determination. There was a killer to catch and both agents knew it was only a matter of time before he slipped up and landed in their laps.

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**Pretty short one; expect an update soon.**


	14. Chapter 14

**So I've been trying to upload this ALL DAY but the site wouldn't let me get to my profile. Sorry about that. Enjoy.**

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**XIV**

"Will you _please_ knock it off?" Emily strained to keep the irritation out of her voice. Mackenzie had not stopped clanging her wrist against the car door, taking the handcuff and her borderline obnoxious amount of bracelets with her.

"If you uncuffed me we wouldn't have a problem now would be Agent Juliet?" Mackenzie rolled her eyes in Emily's direction, taking note of the slight blush that took over her cheeks.

"That story didn't end very well." Emily pointed out as she turned onto the highway. Less than twenty minutes in and Mackenzie had already found a way to piss her off.

"Yea well at the rate you're going neither will yours." The girl grumbled as she stared out the side window. Emily ignored the blatant threat, having gotten used to them in the first ten minutes of their trip, and directed the conversation elsewhere.

"So what _is_ your name?" the older brunette asked, occasionally glancing over at the younger girl. Mackenzie gave no reaction. "I mean, if it isn't Mackenzie, it has to be something else. Alright, I'll guess."

"Good luck."

"Oh, so it's an uncommon name, okay." Emily shifted in her seat and made it her life goal for the next two hours to annoy the girl as much as she could. "Isla. Zariah. Freya. Catelyn. Ursula."

"What the hell kind of people do you hang out with?" Mackenzie frowned at the list of names. Emily glared at the girl.

"Rude." She admonished her only to receive another eye roll. "I can keep guessing?"

"Or you could shoot me now and spare me." Mackenzie grumbled.

"You should really tone down the attitude." Emily suggested. "We're on the same side."

"Are we now?" Mackenzie shot the woman an amused glare. "I wasn't aware that I _agreed_ to be carted off to some flee-rotten cabin in the middle of nowhere, stuck with one of the six people that refused to listen while a murderer chases after me!"

"So Hail _is_ the killer?" Emily raised an eyebrow, glad to have caught the girl. Mackenzie's mouth snapped shut and a look of fear flashed across her face. Emily sighed before continuing. "Listen, I just want to help okay?"

"What don't you understand?!" Mackenzie shifted angrily. "_You can't help_. _When _he finds us, would you like to know what he's going to do?"

"How do you know what he plans on doing?" Emily asked, admittedly curious.

"Because I've seen it before." Mackenzie lowered her voice and Emily could tell that she was telling the truth.

"The woman you told us about…what happened to her?" Emily noticed the girl take in a shaky breath and close her eyes. "He's not going to find you, I promise. Just tell me."

"He-" Mackenzie weighed the possibility of Emily being able to keep her promise in her mind and found herself believing it. Annoying as she was, the woman knew how to do her job and genuinely seemed to care about the case…and her. "I went over one time without being called. They were all in the living room."

"Who?"

"Adrian, the woman, and these two guys I had never seen before." Mackenzie avoided Emily's gaze and passively stared out the window at the setting sun. "She was in a business suit, her nametag read 'Anya' and Adrian looked more pissed off than I had ever seen him." Mackenzie took a breath before continuing. "He got even madder when he saw me there; starting asking why I had come and screaming at me to leave but I refused. I asked him what she was doing there and why there was a cut on the woman's lip. He just glared at me. Then he turned to look at her and she started to cry so I sat next to her and asked what had happened. She just cried harder. I noticed these blueprints on the wall and a couple of handguns on the table and I asked him what he was planning on doing. He grabbed me by the collar and told me not to worry about it, that it had nothing to do with me and to get out. When he let go he turned back to Anya and started to drag her by the hair towards his bedroom. She was…screaming, begging someone to help her. I kind of…froze for a second but then I ran towards her and the next thing I remember is waking up six hours later."

"What happened?" Emily frowned as she turned on the windshield wipers. The rain had slowly increased since they left the station and was now at a complete downpour. She guessed the weather wouldn't improve much the further west they went.

"Hail hit me so hard I-I went blind for that entire time." Mackenzie placed her free hand at the back of her head and felt the bump that made permanent residence there.

"And Anya?" Emily was almost afraid of the answer. Mackenzie cleared her throat before continuing.

"I, uh, went into the next room and found her. She was…lying on Adrian's bed naked and covered in blood but not dead…yet." Mackenzie took in another uneasy breath as she tried not to recall the sight of the beaten woman. "I covered her and she begged me to stay. So I did. Two hours later she died in my arms." Emily was left speechless at the girl's story. No one, especially someone so young, should ever have to witness something like that. "Hail came in a little later and apologized for hitting me. I was so…lost that I don't even remember exactly what he said. I just remember he put his arms around me and that was the first time I felt truly afraid of him."

"Why didn't you go to the police?" Emily's soft voice asked. Part of her wanted to pull over and comfort the girl but her better judgment ruled against it. She knew Mackenzie didn't react well to being touched. Her humorless laughter caused a chill to run down the agent's spine.

"And tell them what?" she asked. "My boyfriend just raped and beat a woman to death but I have no idea who she was, why he did it or what he did with the body?"

"Something to that effect." Emily nodded only to receive a scoff.

"That's just as bad as this." Mackenzie motioned to their surroundings. After a few seconds of silence she muttered, "I never thought my life would turn out like this."

"I don't think anyone means for these things to happen." Emily said calmly. "Don't you have a family?"

"I _had_ a family." The girl shrugged nonchalantly. "They didn't much care for me."

"So you left?"

"So I left." Mackenzie confirmed. "And came to fulfill my dreams in the Empire State." She laughed coldly. "What a joke."

"When this is over, you could always go back. I'm sure your family misses you." Emily told the girl.

"My leaving was equivalent to the Second Coming for my parents. I don't think going back is an option."

"I'm sure that's not true." Emily avoided using the girl's 'name'.

"And how would you know?" the girl's angry glare bore into Emily.

"No parent thinks that way about their child." Emily chuckled slightly. "Not even mine."

"Oh, spare me please." Mackenzie rolled her eyes. "You have the stench of a privileged upbringing oozing from your every pore. Don't try to tell me that mommy didn't hug you enough." Emily debated telling the girl that her mother did in fact, not hug her at all as a child until she felt the little hairs on the back of her neck go up. Glancing in the rearview mirror, Emily noticed a familiar car's headlights; familiar because that very car had been behind her for nearly fifteen minutes. Calmly, Emily took the nearest exit and watched as the dark red SUV followed.

"Take my cell phone, call Hotch." Emily ordered the girl as she tossed the device to the girl.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Mackenzie nearly laughed. _Shit_. Their phones still didn't work thanks to the genius beside her.

"Don't you have one?"

"Yea two, they're with my bag and jacket."

"Well, get it."

"In NYPD's evidence lockup." Mackenzie took in the worried look on Emily's face. "What is it?"

"What color car does Adrian drive?" the agent asked the girl as calmly as she could.

"Blue, why?" Mackenzie's face slowly put on the expression of panic Emily was trying to avoid.

"What about Alek?" Emily recalled the small mall acting as Hail's personal secretary.

"Red. What the hell is it?" Mackenzie turned slightly and noticed the SUV tailing them. "Oh my God."

"Calm down, there's no way they know where we are." Emily tried to assure the girl.

"Calm down?!" Mackenzie shouted. "I _told_ you this was going to happen! Why couldn't you just listen to me?!"

"We don't know that it's them." Emily responded as she pulled into a rest stop. "Just wait." She placed her hand on her holster and watched as the SUV slowly passed them. Exhaling in relief, both women shared a look.

"I need to use the bathroom." Mackenzie announced shakily. Emily nodded and got out to open the door for her. Following the girl in, Emily unlocked the handcuffs and waited outside the stall, flashing her badge at anyone who seemed to question why she was travelling with a teenager in handcuffs. She didn't trust the girl not to run for it and couldn't risk losing her charge. Mackenzie washed her hands in silence and Emily noticed just how much they were shaking. She leaned forward and turned off the water, seeing as Mackenzie was having trouble turning the knob. Wordlessly, the girl turned around, placed her hands behind her back and waited for Emily to lead her back to the car. The rain hadn't relented and by the time the two got settled in the car, they were soaked. Emily turned up the heat and risked a glance towards the girl. She was paler than before, her hands still trembling and her eyes wide as she stared straight ahead. Slowly, Emily reached out and placed her hand over the girls. Mackenzie flinched and brought her doe-eyed stare to Emily's chocolate eyes. The agent couldn't remember seeing that level of fear in anyone before now and guessed that she had good reason to be afraid. Briefly recounting the months she had spent looking behind her while Doyle was free, Emily sympathized and offered a tight smile.

"Don't worry." She told the girl who continued to shake. "You're safe."

"No I'm not." Mackenzie's words came out quivering. "And neither are you." This time, Emily didn't take the threat lightly. She saw the fear in the girl's emerald eyes and for the first time actually began to worry. As she pulled out of the parking spot and eased her way onto an empty residential street, Emily's worries were confirmed as a red SUV slammed into the side of their sedan, sending the car skidding down the street and wrapping itself around a pole. The last thing Emily Prentiss thought before darkness overtook her was that maybe they should have taken the girl genius a bit more seriously.


	15. Chapter 15

**I was going to wait for at least one more review on the previous chapter but then I thought; eh screw it. I'm a little, let's say, worried about this chapter because I don't feel like it came out exactly like I wanted it even though I've gone over it 100 times (OCD writer problems) but I'll let you be the judge of that. **

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**XV**

"Has anyone gotten a call from Emily?" Hotch asked the room and no one missed the use of her first name.

"Our phones don't work, remember?" Reid reminded him and they all watched as he practically ran to the front desk.

"Has Agent Prentiss checked in yet?" he asked the officer manning the desk. The red headed man checked the messages and shook his head.

"No sir, not yet."

"I'm sure everything's fine Hotch." Morgan told the man and went back to his paperwork.

"If they haven't killed each other yet, I'm sure Em will stop at a rest area and give us a call." JJ tried to reassure her boss. Hotch stood at the foot of the table and ran a hand through his hair anxiously. "Aaron?"

"I have a really bad feeling." The dark haired man admitted quietly, earning the attention of his agents.

"What…kind of feeling?" JJ asked as she leaned forward.

"I don't know." Hotch answered.

"Like a 'my-girlfriend's-been-abducted-by-a-sociopath' feeling?" Rossi asked nonchalantly and Hotch glared at him from under his brow.

"Way to jump to conclusions Rossi." Reid crossed his arms. Ever since Emily's return, the whole team felt a sense of overprotectiveness towards her, especially Hotch. Around the time she returned was when he started noticing how he really felt about her and began finding excuses to spend more time with her. Shaking the thought, he refocused his mind and nervously paced the room.

"She _is_ a magnet for that kind of crap." Morgan pointed out and shifted uncomfortably.

"Why don't we give her another half hour before we panic?" Rossi suggested and everyone nodded, seemingly going back to their assigned tasks. Hotch on the other hand, didn't miss the look of apprehension JJ sent his way. The two had developed an inane sense of reading one another ever since they handled Emily's case in Paris and Hotch knew that look very well; he wasn't the only one with a bad feeling and when JJ thinks something bad is going to happen, it usually does.

Mackenzie groaned as she waited for her eyes to refocus. Warm blood oozed down the right side of her face, obscuring her vision on that side. She moved to open the door only to realize that she was still handcuffed to it. Risking a look out her window, Mackenzie saw the SUV that hit them. Three men were recovering from the crash and easing out of their seatbelts.

"Shit." She cursed softly as she desperately tried to free herself. Turning her head, she took in the unconscious agent to her left. _The key!_ Mackenzie reached over and didn't fail to take in the amount of blood coming from Agent Prentiss' head wound or the fact that the pole they had managed to wrap themselves around missed her by barely two inches. She yanked the keys out of the agent's pocket and quickly freed herself. Just as she opened the door to make a run for it, Mackenzie looked back at the woman. A mental image of what would happen to her when Hail found her flashed through her mind and before she knew it, Mackenzie was back in the car and undoing Emily's seatbelt. Taking the older woman's arms she hurriedly pushed her out onto the street and toppled over her. Wincing as she put pressure on her damaged ankle, Mackenzie wrapped her arms around the woman's torso and dragged her to the nearest alley. Slowly and painfully, she managed to find a decent hiding spot to wait Alek out. Pulling the unconscious woman into her lap, Mackenzie tried to ignore the smell of the dumpster they were hiding behind as she pressed a hand to her head. It came away soaked in blood and Mackenzie's already damaged ankle throbbed mercilessly. She shifted positions causing Emily to stir and groan in her arms. Placing a hand over the woman's mouth to stifle the noise, Mackenzie tried hard to listen for any approaching footsteps. When she heard none, she removed her hand from Emily's mouth and realized that the agent was awake. She placed a finger to her lips, signaling for quiet and Emily nodded. After a few minutes, Mackenzie risked a peek out of the corner of the dumpster and saw nothing. "Still think I'm kidding?"

"Are you alright?" Emily took her by the jaw and examined the cut on her forehead. Pushing the woman's hand away, the two stood and Emily began to help the girl hobble towards the nearest phone.

"And where exactly are we off to in such a hurry?" a male voice called from the other side of the alley. Both women spun on their heels and were met with the barrels of two guns. Emily forced Mackenzie behind her as she stared down the two men. One she recognized as Alek, Hail's lapdog, the other, one of the men in the apartment when she and JJ went to visit. Her hand immediately went to her hip only to have the taller man take a step closer.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you _Emily_." Alek smiled coldly at the woman.

"Mac, my dear." A new voice approached from behind the men. "I'm not sure I like the company you've been keeping recently." Adrian Hail emerged from the shadows like a villain in a la noire movie, his hands buried in his pockets. Emily felt Mackenzie shift uncomfortably behind her and took a step away from the man.

"Walk away Hail." Emily's voice ordered. "We both know you're not getting away with this." Adrian chuckled softly before returning her hard stare.

"Oh Emily," he clicked his tongue. "I knew there was fire in you. Unfortunately, that fire just got you killed." Just as Alek flipped the safety of his handgun off and took aim between Emily's eyes, Mackenzie hurled the woman backwards.

"Adrian, don't." she looked straight past the smaller man and latched her gaze onto Hail's golden one. "Please."

"What did you tell them?" Hail asked her and Mackenzie began shaking her head.

"Nothing." She held his gaze as she lied. Hail moved closer to her, making sure that Alek and the other man had their guns trained on Emily, and grabbed her by the arm hard enough to cause a bruise.

"Don't lie to me." He tightened his grip with every word as he pushed her hair out of her face and examined the cut on her forehead.

"I've never lied to you. Why start now?" Mackenzie's eyes never left his as he gently caressed her face. Emily itched to get the man away from her, knowing how afraid she is of him. She took a small step forward only to be stopped by a knee to the gut. She coughed as she fell and heard Mackenzie yell at the stranger, stopping only when Hail grabbed a fistful of her hair. "You don't order them around; I do. Is that understood?" Mackenzie nodded furiously, her eyes watering from the tight hold he had on her.

"Let's just go Adrian." She urged him. "Please, I want to go home."

"We will," Hail smiled at her before turning his gaze on Emily. "Right after I take care of this." Taking out a gun of his own, Adrian knelt by Emily and took her hair into his fist. She glared up at the man with a ferocity that seemed to momentarily set him aback. Offering the brunette a wide grin, Adrian stroked the gun against her cheek and found himself amused at her bored expression.

"They'll find you if you kill her!" Mackenzie shouted at him. "They'll never stop. Just leave her and let's go." Hail seemed to weigh the options in his head before standing and backhanding the girl hard enough to send her to the floor. Emily practically crawled to get to her and saw that her lip had been split open, sending blood dripping down her jaw. The two helped each other up and stared down Hail together.

"Don't ever assume you can tell me what to do." Hail grabbed Mackenzie's collar and shoved her hard against him, separating the two.

"I'm sorry." The girl trembled in his grasp and avoided his gaze.

"You will be." Hail whispered in her ear causing Mackenzie's eyes to widen and new tears to form. "Agent Prentiss, it looks like today's your lucky day." He tossed Mackenzie like a rag doll to the other man and she didn't struggle as he tied her hands behind her back.

"I will find you. I promise." Emily faced Mackenzie, ignoring Hail as he approached her. He chuckled in response.

"I doubt that." He said before slamming the butt of his weapon against Emily's temple, knocking the woman unconscious immediately. Mackenzie flinched at the sound of Emily's body hitting the ground and looked away, tears flowing freely down her face. Hail bent over her, took out the handcuffs he had gotten from the sedan's door and tethered the woman to the nearest pipe. Turning back to Mackenzie, he wiped away the tears on the girl's face before giving her a peck on the lips.

"Now, where were we?"


	16. Chapter 16

**Thanks for the reviews! Yea, Hail's not a very nice guy. Hope you enjoy!**

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**XVI**

_Someone stop that damned ringing!_ Emily's head screamed in protest as she shifted uncomfortably. Since when was her bed this firm? The sound penetrated her eardrums and seemed to beat throughout Emily's entire body. Groaning, she reached out her hand to turn it off when she felt hard ground beneath her palm. Ground? What was she doing on the floor? And why was she wet? Squeezing her eyes tightly and preparing herself for the pain she knew the sun would bring when she opened them, she led her hand to the source of the insistent noise. Resting it on her hip, Emily tried- and failed- to grasp the cell phone in her hand. Wait, cell phone? When was the last time she heard it ring? That night, with JJ and Garcia in her apartment! Surely she wasn't still there…or was she? Thinking too hard made her head ache something awful so Emily decided against it. Instead, she worked feverishly to take hold of the phone and press a button- any button. After several tries, the ringing finally stopped and Emily sighed, content. That is, of course until she heard her name being called rather loudly from somewhere close by.

"_Emily!_" a female voice cried. JJ? Emily blinked hard, desperately trying to remember where she was and how she had gotten there, all the while trying to reestablish her motor skills.

"Jay?" she called, weaker than she could have ever imagined herself being. The vibrations that speaking made throughout her body were altogether unpleasant and Emily groaned in protest. Resting the phone on her thigh, she brought her hand to her head where the aching seemed to originate. Wet, why was everything wet?

"Emily, what happened?!" JJ's voice caused the brunette to wince. She had to think hard before answering.

"Don't know." Emily pulled her hand away and even with her deterred vision, could tell that something wasn't right. "Head hurts."

"Em, don't move. We're on the way!" Footsteps and car doors could be heard but Emily's ears couldn't register the sounds. Did JJ say something about moving? Trying to sit herself up, Emily felt a new pain race down her left arm, starting from her wrist. She shook it a few times before noticing that a cold, wet metal kept her from going anywhere.

"Can't." she mumbled, knowing that JJ was probably too busy to listen. Busy doing what? Maybe if she closed her eyes for a moment, she could concentrate harder. _Right, close your eyes Emily._ Good idea.

"Where?" Hotch's voice snapped JJ out of whatever trance she had been in.

"20 yards ahead of you." Garcia tried to calm herself while she directed the two to where Emily's phone was. "Is she there?" Stepping into the freezing rain, JJ and Hotch scanned the area where Emily had been.

"We'll call you back."

"No, JJ don't-" But the line was already dead. It was nothing short of a miracle that Garcia had been able to bypass whatever network Mackenzie had used to hijack their cell phones. That miracle might be the only reason the two survived.

"Hotch." JJ's small voice called out to him. Squinting through the downpour, the man struggled to see what the blonde was staring at and when he did, he wished he hadn't. The sedan the NYPD had given Emily was totaled, wrapped around a pole with a huge dent on the passenger side. Drawing their weapons, the two agents approached the destroyed vehicle with caution. "I've got blood."

"Me too." Hotch announced somberly from the driver's side. Sharing a frightened look with the blonde, Hotch felt his heart drop in his chest as he realized what had transpired.

"Emily!" JJ shouted down the abandoned streets. "_Em!_" Silence shouted back at them and JJ couldn't help the wave of panic that washed through her. "Hotch."

"We will find her. We will." The dark haired man announced with a burning determination JJ had never seen before. "Check the alleyways." JJ nodded and began sprinting down the street, glancing down narrow alleys. Her hair plastered to her face wasn't helping and neither was the fact that she could almost hear her own teeth chattering. _Oh God, Emily could be out here freezing._

"Emily!" she shouted again and could hear her boss doing the same on the opposite side of the street. "Em, where are you?!" The rain continued to obscure her vision but JJ could've sworn she heard something in the distance; something…hitting metal. Drawing her weapon, the blonde placed a mask of resolve on and continued down the alleyway. _Come out you son of a bitch_. Convinced that she was about to come face to face with the man that had caused all this, JJ clicked off the safety of her gun and took tentative steps further into the narrow street. Suddenly, the sound of metal on metal could be heard directly to her left. JJ spun on her heel and aimed her gun where a hidden assailant would be. Instead, she saw the silhouette of someone lying on the floor, one hand hanging above their body.

"Jay?" a weak voice called out. Sighing in relief, JJ dropped to her knees beside the woman and nearly cried. Yanking her coat off, the blonde placed it firmly around her friend, desperately trying to keep her warm.

"Hotch! Hotch! Over here!" she yelled, noticing how the brunette reacted to the sudden noise. "Are you alright?"

"Mhm." Emily tried to nod, only to regret the movement immediately. JJ took in her handcuffed wrist and prayed that the key was around here somewhere. Throwing herself on all fours, no longer feeling the cold, wet rain, she blindly searched for the small key.

"Gotcha!" she cried victoriously and scrambled back to the brunette. "You're going to be okay, Em."

"JJ?" Hotch called from the entrance to the alley.

"Call a bus!" the blonde shouted back and could already hear Hotch dialing. She set her friend's hand free and drew her into her lap, pressing a hand to Emily's head wound.

"Ouch." The brunette frowned in disapproval, confusion clear on her features.

"Em, where's Mackenzie?" JJ asked her, slightly shaking the woman in her arms to keep her awake. "Mackenzie, where is she?"

"She-uh," Emily pondered the question, seemingly trying to remember exactly who Mackenzie was. "Took her." Hotch knelt by the woman's side and took her hand in his.

"Who took her? Emily," Hotch's voice demanded her attention and the brunette willingly gave it. Upon seeing his face, a flash seemed to cross over Emily's eyes.

"Hail…took Mackenzie!" Emily struggled to sit upright only to be held down by her team members. She could hear JJ shushing her but couldn't shake the memory of Hail backhanding the girl and taking her away. "I've got to get her!"

"Emily, Emily, stop." Hotch implored the woman softly. "Please, we will find her. Just calm down."

"I promised." Emily shook her head against JJ's torso. "I promised."

"I know, Em." Hotch spoke to her softly as she started to drift off. "You've got to stay awake."

"Mkay." She mumbled, barely audible as she rested her head against JJ's chest.

"No, Emily. Stay awake!" She could hear both JJ and Hotch yelling at her to keep her eyes open but found that no amount of effort could accomplish the task. Before long, Emily slipped into the comforting embrace of unconsciousness, leaving her friends alone. Seconds of silence past before they started hearing sirens and Hotch raced out to meet them.

"What happened?" an EMT met the unit chief halfway.

"We don't know. There was an accident and then-"

"Alright sir, I'm going to need you to step back." The younger man eased past Hotch and knelt beside Emily and JJ. "Ma'am?"

"I'm not leaving her." JJ didn't even regard the man with a glace, her gaze solely focused on her best friend. She hadn't been there when Morgan found Emily dying from the wounds Doyle inflected. She hadn't been there when Emily told Rossi about the abortion she had had at 15. She hadn't been there when a cult leader decided to use her as a punching bag. She hadn't been there all the times Emily needed a friend to be there. She wasn't about to repeat those mistakes. Blankly, the two remaining agents helped load the brunette into the back of the ambulance. Hotch reluctantly agreed to follow them in the SUV so JJ could stay with Emily. He had seen the haunted look on the blonde's face and could only guess as to the horrors that played in her mind. After all, Emily _was_ her best friend. Who was he to come between that? Pulling up to the hospital, Hotch gave himself a few seconds to calm down. Taking out his now fully functional cell phone, he realized just how badly his hands had been shaking. Surprised that he had made it there in one piece, he took in a shaky breath and couldn't remember a time when he felt so…un-Hotch-like. His brain fumbled with the mere _idea_ of what had just occurred and his limbs refused to obey his commands._ Emily needs you._ _Pull it together Hotchner. Now._ Exhaling, he shakily dialed Morgan's number and entered the hospital where the overpowering aroma of blood and disinfectant filled his nostrils, simultaneously filling his head with equally awful memories.

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**I was going to make Hotch the one to find Emily but I'm a firm believer of chicks before dicks so :P I'm leaving for my first college orientation in an hour or so so I can't update until at least Tuesday but don't worry, the next chapter is already done!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Had the best time at orientation! I'm so excited to start college! With that, please enjoy the update & let me know if you did!**

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**XVII**

"JJ." Hotch called to the still dripping blonde as he caught sight of her pacing from across the room.

"They took her in." she turned and acknowledged the man briefly before continuing. "They didn't say anything, they just took her."

"JJ." Hotch tried to step in front of the woman to get her attention. "JJ, stop. Jennifer!" At the sound of her full name, JJ halted and brought her gaze to her boss'. The dark haired man placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. "She's going to be fine."

"I can't do it again." The petite blonde shivered and Hotch wasn't completely convinced that it was simply because of the cold. "I can't."

"I know, I know." He rubbed her arms softly and tried to ignore the own sense of panic he felt at the thought of losing Emily…again. "It's Emily. She's going to be fine."

"You're right." JJ sniffled and settled into a chair before sneezing abruptly.

"You need to dry off before you get sick." Hotch told the woman who remained seated. "I promise I'll come get you the second I know something."

"Even if you have to come into the women's bathroom." JJ raised an eyebrow, all the while knowing that if she didn't get warm soon she would regret it.

"Even if I have to come into the women's bathroom." Hotch made the sign of a cub scout, earning a small grin from the blonde before she hurried to find a restroom. When JJ returned, Hotch went to tend to himself and by the time he was done, the team had arrived. The two agents assured their friends that they had received no updates in the twenty minutes it had taken them to get to the hospital and settled in for an uncomfortable wait. Rossi sat next to JJ and noticed her shivering frame and chattering teeth.

"Here." The older man removed his jacket and placed it on the former media liaison's shoulders. She smiled appreciatively and curled up into a small ball.

"If this is how I feel after spending fifteen minutes out there…" JJ left the thought unfinished.

"Emily's going to be fine, bella." Rossi placed his arm over the woman's shoulders and drew her in. Growing up like JJ had, she hadn't really depended on a father figure but the moment David Rossi rejoined the BAU, everyone could see the father-daughter like relationship the two had built. JJ sneezed again and just as she went looking for a box of tissues, the doors to the restricted section flew open.

"Emily Prentiss?" a tall, lean man asked the group who immediately shot out of their seats. "Are you family?"

"We're her team." Morgan announced and the doctor took in the federal credentials displayed by each member.

"Will Agent Prentiss' family-"

"We _are_ her family." Hotch told the man with an annoyed tone. Hesitant for only a moment, the young doctor nodded and sat across from the BAU to begin explaining Emily's situation.

"The car accident you informed the EMT's about didn't cause as much damage as it could've." He began. "Agent Prentiss sustained three broken ribs, a fractured collarbone and a concussion upon impact. We set her ribs and collarbone although she won't be able to participate in any field work for at least a month."

"And the concussion?" JJ asked, remembering how unresponsive and dazed the brunette had been in the alley. The doctor frowned slightly before continuing.

"Only time will tell us the extent of her head trauma but you see, this is where we were confused. Perhaps you could clarify something for us?" The team inched forward in their seats. "Agent Prentiss' initial concussion is not life-threatening."

"Initial?" Hotch voiced the concerns of the whole team. He didn't like the way this was going.

"Our scans show extensive skull damage that couldn't have been caused in the accident but rather, afterwards." He pulled out an x-ray of Emily's skull. Reid took it from him and began decoding it.

"He's right." The younger doctor said. "Assuming Emily was driving the legal speed limit which was 25 miles per hour on a residential street, calculating the magnitude of damage to the sedan concluding that the car that hit them was going around 40 miles per hour, Emily's head injury shouldn't be this bad."

"You're saying something else happened?" Morgan crossed his arms across his broad chest. "Something else hit her?"

"Or someone." JJ mumbled, unaware that they had heard her.

"Hail." Hotch's eyes flashed with an anger they had only seen once before. No one missed the look of pure fear that emanated from the doctor's expression at hearing the familiar name.

"You think Hail did this to her?" Rossi questioned the dark haired man.

"When I found her she was going on about how he took Mackenzie, how she had to find them." JJ pressed two fingers on the bridge of her nose. "There's no way she would've let Hail take the girl without a fight."

"She was handcuffed." Hotch informed the rest. "To make sure she didn't follow them out of the alley."

"The angle of the fracture and bruising does suggest the barrel of handgun." Reid deduced as he lowered his gaze.

"Son of a bitch." They heard Morgan grumble as he stood.

"I'm sorry, do you mean Adrian Hail?" the no longer silent doctor asked. "As in _the_ Adrian Hail?" When no one responded, the man eased out of his seat slowly and practically sprinted down the hall.

"I want NYPD down here within five minutes. Two uniforms at her door at all times. One of us inside her room no matter what." Hotch ordered. "JJ, call Garcia. Tell her to run a background check on every person in this hospital. I want to know if they have the _slightest_ reason to help Hail."

"Hotch, the entire city's terrified of him." Morgan pointed out as JJ whipped out her cell phone. "Given the right…motivation, they would all 'help'."

"Not if we have a say in it." Rossi stood and crossed his arms as if preparing for another war.

"Start with him." Hotch looked directly at Emily's doctor, stopping the man in his tracks. The nametag read 'Dr. Kyler'. JJ left them to initiate what would definitely be a very long conversation with the already agitated technical analyst.

"Has she said anything to you?" Morgan tipped his head in JJ's direction as the blonde paced while trying to reassure Garcia. Hotch ran a hand through his hair before responding.

"Not really. Just that she 'can't do it again'." The man shook his head and rested it in his hands.

"Do what again?" Reid questioned.

"I'm assuming bury her best friend." Rossi responded, earning himself a not-so-nice glare from the remaining members. "What, you think it was _easy_ for her? If you ask me, she had it worse than all of us during those six months."

"All I know is that when we found her, JJ looked like she had seen a ghost." Hotch said. "I've never seen her so…afraid before."

"Think she's in shock?" Morgan glanced nervously at his friend. Hotch only shrugged, a defeated look easing its way onto his face. Rossi placed a hand on the man's shoulder comfortingly.

"How can this happen _now_?" the unit chief muttered, mainly to himself. The three men exchanged glances, already knowing exactly what their boss meant. Losing Emily had been difficult for all of them but after she returned, Hotch had all but broadcasted his affections for her on the national news. Everyone, including people who had never met the two before, noticed it in their eyes when they looked or even thought about one another- everyone that is, except Emily herself. She was secretly terrified that she was seeing things; conjuring up scenarios that weren't actually happening to cope with the fact that she desired nothing more than her boss. That's to say nothing of the man himself, who was mortified of hurting the one of the two people he would sacrifice anything for. The kiss the two had shared did more than assure her of his feelings; it rekindled a spark in both of them that they thought died long ago. After Haley and Doyle's deaths neither agent had been the same. For two distinctly different reasons, neither Emily nor Hotch had ever been seen in the company of someone of the opposite gender unless it was work related and their friends had taken notice. That and the frequent day trips, Sunday breakfasts with Jack and sidelong glances did more than confirm the budding romance to their colleagues. If anything happened to Emily because of this case, Hotch would undoubtedly lose his mind…after he found the most painful way to rid Adrian Hail of his miserable life, that is.

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**Already working on the next one!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Sorry for the wait; life's busy during the summer. Hope you enjoy this bit of fluff and I promise the story line will progress in the next chapter; I just couldn't resist.**

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**XVIII**

The tingling in his fingers and toes ceased to bother him after the first hour. After the second, the faint sound of Morgan's snoring didn't even register. After the third and fourth, even the reoccurring sound of JJ's coughs seemed to fade to the back of his mind. Finally, after six hours of fidgeting, grumbling and conjuring up worst case scenarios, the sound all five agents had been praying for sang across the halls.

"Agents?" Dr. Kyler's voice called to them. Immediately, all five were on their feet and rushing towards the small man. Bombarding him with questions, he drew up enough courage to raise a hand and stop them. "Agent Prentiss is out of surgery. There was extensive cerebral damage that caused internal bleeding. We repaired that and gave her a mild sedative for the pain."

"Is she awake?" Hotch pressed the man. The doctor shook his head no.

"She won't be for a few hours but you're welcome to see her." Kyler offered the group a small smile.

"So she's…she's okay?" Reid's small voice asked.

"As I'm sure you all know, head traumas are highly unpredictable." The team's faces dropped. "But from what I can see she has a family willing to help in whatever she needs. I'm sure she'll be fine." Relieved sighs could be heard expelling from each agent's lips. "She's in room 414."

"Thank you." Rossi shook hands with the man and smiled back before glancing at the rest of his team. Reid looked confused, as if the information was still processing in that big brain of his. Morgan kept up the angered look he'd been sporting since they arrived. JJ seemed to be holding back tears and coughed to cover them up. Hotch on the other hand, remained placid as always. Rossi was sure the man was aching to see Emily, maybe even more than the rest of them, and the anger welling up inside him must be tremendous as he took in the faint red tint in his cheeks.

"Go." JJ spoke for the first time since her call to Garcia. Turning towards the blonde, they saw that she had directed her command to Hotch. The man's stoic expression faltered slightly.

"No, you should-"

"Go Aaron." JJ waved her hand weakly in the direction of Emily's room before taking back her seat in the waiting room. The men of the BAU saw their friend bring her knees to her chest and start to cry silently, relief flooding through her. Reid took a step forward only for Rossi to stop him and shake his head. Their hearts broke for the blonde but they knew she needed some time to herself; time to process the fact that her best friend was going to be okay.

"I'll call Garcia." Morgan hurried outside, desperate for some cold air and Reid and Rossi took off towards the cafeteria to refill their coffee mugs. That left Hotch alone in the hallway, blankly staring at the corridor that led to Emily's room. Running a hand through his hair, he slowly approached room 414 and after flashing his credentials at the two officers on duty, turned the knob and entered. Upon seeing Emily Prentiss, the world's strongest and most amazing woman, surrounded by wires and machines with bandages wrapped around her head and a sling plastering her arm to her chest, the normally collected unit chief closed his eyes and took in a shaky breath. The constant beeping of her heart monitor was the first comforting sound he had heard in hours. Slowly, he approached her bedside and took in the appearance of his agent. The bandages around her head did little to hide the deep bruising on her forehead; the bruises Hail had put there. He watched as Emily's chest rose and fell with strain and could only image what damage what been done to her ribs. Dragging a chair to her side, Hotch plopped himself into it and sighed. Reaching forward, he took her hand in his and willed whatever strength he had to pass into her. It was only until after he had finished prayer to a God he wasn't even sure existed that he noticed the hot tears streaming down his face. _How could I let this happen?_

"Emily," he called to her in a broken voice. "I don't know if you can hear me but I just wanted to tell you something I should've said years ago." Hotch leaned forward and brought his lips close to her ear. "I love you."

The sobs that wracked her already exhausted body had stopped merely minutes ago. She untangled herself from the ball she was in and stretched her legs out in front of her. Standing, JJ tried to stop the room from spinning momentarily so she could make it to the bathroom in one piece. She pressed a hand to her head and wasn't surprised to find that her skin was burning. She scoffed. _Yea, just what I need now; a fever_. Not looking where she was going, JJ accidentally rammed into someone just outside the ladies' room.

"Sorry." She mumbled before sidestepping out of the man's way.

"Agent Jareau?" the deep, familiar voice asked as he reached out for her wrist. Rolling her eyes, JJ turned and was met with the still-smug face of Detective Waters.

"What?" her short temper got the best of her as she yanked her arm out of his grasp.

"Just came to see what the holdup is." Waters' eyes narrowed as he took in her disheveled appearance.

"Do you have a problem Detective?" JJ fought to keep the nastiness out of her voice…and failed. The man simply chuckled in return.

"Didn't know you liked it dirty." He grinned wickedly at her and JJ's fists clenched so tightly she could feel the cuts forming in her palms. Emily was in the hospital and this _asshole_ was making jokes?

"There are a lot of things you clearly _don't know._" JJ spat at the man. He seemed offended by her jab at his intelligence and placed his arms across his chest.

"So when do you people plan on fixing this shit?" Waters allowed his eyes to dance across the room as if gesturing.

"Excuse me?" JJ took a step closer, her anger growing by the second.

"You heard me." Waters scoffed. "You come in here all high and mighty claiming you can solve this case in a matter of hours and now that _bitch_ loses the one lead we-" That was it. JJ's clenched fist collided with the Detective's nose, sending blood pouring down his face. The blonde couldn't help the small flicker of joy inside of her. "_Fucking bitch!_" Waters leapt at her, trying to land a punch of his own but the blood obscured his vision and JJ easily dodged the large fist. Grabbing his wrist with both hands, she wrenched it backwards until she felt a slight pop and heard him cry out. Placing her foot in between his separated legs, she twisted her body, taking the man's wrist with her, and yanked it behind him until he was on his knees. Several medical personnel had heard the commotion and rushed to help, mouths agape at the sight of a 100 pound blonde with her knee to the man's back.

"You might want to get some ice." She barely glanced at the nearest nurse before applying more pressure to Waters' hand. Ignoring his cries, the nurse rushed to do as she said. JJ leaned down and brought her lips close to the man's ear. "Now you listen to me; if I _ever_ hear you say anything about Emily again, I won't hesitate to break both your legs. Do you understand?" Waters nodded vigorously. "I can't hear you."

"Yes! I'm sorry!" he cried out as she tightened her grip. Satisfied, JJ began loosening her hold on him when she heard several shouts of 'JJ!' and footsteps approaching. Releasing the detective, she turned and met Rossi, Reid and Morgan's frantic expressions.

"Are you alright?" Reid placed a hand gingerly on her shoulder and she nodded with a small smile.

"What the hell did you do to her?!" Morgan grabbed the man by the collar and hoisted him up off the floor. Waters' gaze faltered from JJ to Morgan's, afraid of saying anything to ensure the wrath of the blonde.

"Detective Waters here was just telling me how the NYPD is working on tracking Alek's car." JJ said sweetly. "Isn't that right Detective?" Waters nodded quickly and stumbled as Morgan let him go. The four watched the man snatch the ice bag from a nurse and practically sprinted out the door. One by one, they broke out into small chuckles that led to full blown laughter as they patted JJ on the back. Even some of the nurses and doctors that had heard what transpired between the two broke into grins.

"Remind me never to make fun of you again." Morgan smiled wide as he placed his arm over JJ's shoulders. She shrugged him off playfully.

"Don't you forget it."

Back in Emily's room, Hotch was recounting the time when Jack had spilled maple syrup all over Emily's new jeans at one of their Sunday breakfasts. He told her how the boy cried that night, thinking that his Aunt Emmy was mad at him and how he assured him that Emmy could never be upset at anything he did. He recalled how Emily laughed as she tried to soothe his son and how his stomach flopped at the wonderful sound. That was the moment when Aaron Hotchner knew he was in love with Emily Prentiss. Seeing Jack and Emily together gave him a feeling he could only describe as painful. Painful because he knew that no matter what he did, Emily Prentiss could never feel the same way about him; because no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't just get rid of the aching in his heart every time he thought about her; because the vivid dreams he would have about his subordinate were beyond embarrassing and nothing he did could make them stop. Now, seeing her lying in a hospital bed barely a day after they had shared their first kiss, Aaron Hotchner felt more pain than he ever thought imaginable. What if she woke up and didn't remember him? What if she had just kissed him because she felt sorry for him? _What if she heard him and didn't want to wake up?_

"Emily, please wake up." He begged her for the hundredth time. "I need you to wake up; I need you to tell me that you love me too. Please Em." He pressed a gentle kiss against her lips and failed to notice that she had begun reciprocating the geture.

"I love you too." Her labored voice echoed in his brain as Hotch pulled away from her.

"You're-you're alive." He stammered as he took in her watery eyes and small smile.

"And awake." She squeezed his hand, trying to wake him up from his daze.

"Emily." He murmured softly as he cupped her cheek. His gun calloused fingers sent shivers down her spine as they connected with her flesh and she smiled. As Hotch's lips descended on hers, both agents could hear the increased beeping of the monitor registering Emily's heartbeat. They chuckled at the sound.

"Not fair." She mumbled as he stroked her cheek. Hotch took her hand and placed it on his chest so she could feel the beat of his heart that matched her monitor perfectly. Wordlessly, she lifted herself as far as her injuries allowed and took his lips with hers. Grasping the back of her neck and raising her easily, Hotch felt fire coarse through his entire body as she licked his bottom lip and placed a cold hand on his burning arm, drawing him closer. It was only when Emily hissed in pain that Hotch drew back, concern in his eyes.

"What is it? Do you want me to get the nurse?" he squeezed her hand slightly and moved to adjust her pillow. Emily merely shook her head.

"I'm alright." She promised. "Just have a headache." A moment of silence passed between the two as Emily closed her eyes and willed the pain to go away. Suddenly, her eyes shot open and latched onto his as if remembering something. "He took Mackenzie!"

"Shh, I know. We're looking for her." Hotch assured her as he tucked a few strands of hair behind her face.

"I promised her I'd find her Aaron. I promised." Emily's voice gradually became softer as exhaustion took over.

"We will find her Emily." He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Rest now."

M'kay." The brunette mumbled as she curled towards his touch. Hotch smiled as she drifted off to sleep, partially in his arms, and couldn't help but push thoughts of the pending case out of his mind as he too fell into a blissful sleep.

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**I'll be in Boston/Salem MA from tomorrow until Friday night so I won't be able to write until then. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Thank you for all the amazing reviews. I had a great time in Boston and even got my past lives read in Salem! I was never a firm believer in all of that but now ... I don't know. It was an amazing experience that I highly recommend to everyone! Anyway, enjoy this relatively long chapter and tell me what you think!**

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**XIX**

Rossi, Morgan, Reid and JJ stood at the entrance to Emily's room and stared. The growing relationship between their colleagues hadn't come as a surprise but the sight before them was new and would take some getting used to. Sometime in the course of the night, Emily had managed to persuade Hotch into joining her on the oversized hospital bed. Now the two were peacefully asleep, wrapped in each other's arms with Emily's head resting on Hotch's chest. JJ couldn't help the beaming smile that spread on her face, Rossi seemed to be thinking something along the lines of 'about time', Reid looked uncomfortable as if he were intruding on a private moment and Morgan looked confused.

"What do we do?" the youngest member whispered, afraid of waking the couple. JJ and Morgan shrugged and as Dave opened his mouth, a blonde nurse practically ran into Morgan's back.

"I'm sorry." She smiled at him. "You must be Agent Prentiss' team?" Everyone smiled and nodded. "Well, I just have to check her chart and-" The small woman caught sight of the dark haired pair and smiled softly. "That's your-"

"Boss, yes." Morgan shook his head with a grin. The nurse simply chuckled as she approached the bed and scanned through the clipboard.

"We're still trying to put it together ourselves." JJ joked eliciting a small chuckle from the group.

"I'm Angela in case you need anything. I'll be here till one." Glancing at the clock as Angela left, the team seemed shocked to see that it was nearly 5 am.

"No wonder I can barely keep my eyes open." Reid yawned, quickly followed by the others. He took a sidelong glance at JJ who had been looking less and less like herself as the minutes trickled by.

"I think it's a good idea to head to the hotel and get some rest." Rossi concluded. "We'll be no help to Mackenzie if we can't see straight."

"You guys go." JJ waved them towards the door.

"JJ, you have a fever." Reid crossed his arms protectively and the blonde rounded on him.

"Spence, I don't care." She shook her head slowly. "I just-I need to talk to her okay?" No one spoke as they took in the raw appearance of their teammate. "I'll hitch a ride back with Hotch after they wake up."

"So in about five hours?" Morgan joked, desperately trying to lighten the mood. It worked, everyone breaking into small smiles, until a new voice called out.

"Who can sleep with you people yapping away over there?" Hotch grumbled as he slowly untangled himself from Emily's side. The brunette stirred slightly but didn't wake.

"Good morning Sunshine." Rossi rolled his eyes. "Sleep well?" Everyone was surprised to see the unit chief's cheeks turn red.

"Why are you all still here?" Hotch stretched himself and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "You should go back to the hotel and get some rest. We have a lot of work ahead of us."

"We were just talking about that." JJ said. "They're going back now."

"But you're not?" Hotch guessed as he raised an eyebrow at the blonde.

"Not yet." She said softly as she approached Emily's side. Taking up Hotch's previous position in the chair, JJ took her friend's hand in her own.

"We'll see you soon." Rossi called.

"Tell Princess to get better fast." Morgan tilted his head in Emily's direction and the men left, leaving Hotch and JJ alone with a still sleeping Emily.

"Is she alright?" JJ asked for the hundredth time since they had arrived. Hotch nodded and took the seat next to her silently. Slowly taking in JJ's state, he shook his head and wondered how she had not collapsed by now. Although she had pulled her golden hair back into a ponytail, the previous day's activities gave it the appearance of a madwoman. To say she had dark circles under her eyes was an understatement and no one had failed to notice just how much she had paled in such few hours. Her clothes, especially her once beige shirt, told yesterday's story clearly; Emily's blood still covering the woman's torso. Slowly, Hotch placed a hand on her shoulder only to feel her stiffen in response.

"JJ." He said softly. "It's going to be alright. Emily's fine. We're all going to be fine."

"I can't help but…feel like I failed." The blonde admitted in a hushed tone and Hotch saw just how hurt she really was.

"It's not your job to protect _every single _person on this team." He sighed in resignation. "It's mine. If anyone failed, it's me."

"You know that's bullshit." Hotch was shocked at the blonde's words, having never heard her curse before. "You can't help it if something like happens to one of us. We signed up for this just as much as you did."

"Then why is it _your _fault?" Hotch backfired the question at her, earning himself a glare.

"Ever since Paris," JJ sighed before continuing. "I don't know, I just have this notion in my head that if I mess up, she'll be gone again."

"This isn't your fault and it wasn't your fault last time either." Hotch squeezed the woman's hand tightly. "Jennifer, she's your best friend and you love her. It makes sense to be worried about her just like she worries about you." JJ nodded her understanding slowly and received a rare smile from her boss.

"Do _you_ love her?" She asked bluntly. "Do you love my best friend Hotch?"

"Yes," the man smiled shyly before turning his gaze to the sleeping brunette. "Yes, I most definitely do."

"Good." JJ shifted in her seat, crossed her arms and plastered a very serious look on her face. "Then I believe it's only fair to remind you that I carry a gun and made a lot of…interesting friends during my time in the State Department."

"Duly noted." Hotch swallowed hard, wise enough not to take the blonde's threat lightly.

"And if you ever hurt her, I'll be more than willing to demonstrate my aim." JJ smiled a little too sweetly as Hotch's face contorted into a grimace. Releasing her hand, he stood and made his way towards the door.

"I'll go get us some coffee." He said, knowing that JJ would want some time alone with Emily. "Want anything to eat?"

"No, the thought of food-"

"You haven't eaten since yesterday morning and you're already sick." He pointed out. "I'll get you a bagel with egg and cheese." JJ shook her head as her boss left, not surprised that he knew exactly what she liked for breakfast. Turning her body in the chair, JJ scooted closer to her friend and tightened the blankets around her. Emily frowned in her sleep as JJ's touch stirred her.

"It's alright Em." She cooed. "You're safe, I promise."

"Jay?" Emily's weary voice called out, her eyes still closed. JJ rushed to shut the blinds, knowing that the impending sunrise would only hurt the woman's eyes and in turn, her already aching head.

"I'm here." She took Emily's hand again and squeezed. "You're in the hospital."

"Did you get him?" Emily slurred and JJ frowned in confusion.

"Get who Em?"

"Doyle." JJ's heart caught in her throat at the sound of the man's name. She reached forward and stroked Emily's slightly sweaty forehead.

"Hun, we got him years ago." She told her. "You hit your head yesterday and might not remember but that's okay." JJ fought to keep the panic out of her voice. Did Emily not remember the last three years? The brunette groaned slightly as she tried to sit up. JJ gently eased her up by the underarms and helped her settle. Eyes still closed, Emily frowned and placed a shaky hand to her head.

"Shit." She grumbled and JJ chuckled. "Ow."

"Yea, it's going to be sore for a few days." JJ rested back in her chair before continuing. "Em, what do you remember?"

"Uh," the woman shook her head slightly and blinked several times, taking in the room around her. Realization seemed to pass across her features, much to JJ's relief, as she recalled the most recent events. "Hotch kissed me." JJ couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes, that he most definitely did." The blonde shook her head. Out of everything that happened, _that_ was the first to come back to her. She took in the blush on her friend's face and laughed again before coughing.

"You okay?" Emily shifted her concern to her friend and JJ nodded.

"Just a little cough. I'll be fine." The blonde assured her with a wave of the hand.

"JJ," Emily's voice caught her attention immediately. "What's that?" Emily pointed to JJ's blood-stained shirt in horror. "Are you alright?!"

"Em, I'm fine. It's not mine." JJ cried at once. "It's…it's yours."

"Oh."

"Are _you_ alright?" JJ asked with a raised eyebrow. Emily shrugged and immediately regretted it.

"I've been better." She admitted. After their ordeal in Paris, the two women had grown drastically close and Emily had gotten over her stubborn attitude and pride when it came to the blonde. "Feel like I've been hit by a truck." She joked and JJ rolled her eyes.

"Actually, it was an SUV." She informed her and Emily nodded in recognition.

"JJ, we have to find her." She said suddenly. "You don't know what he'll do to her."

"_You_ have to focus on getting out of here okay?" JJ said calmly. "Mackenzie knows how to handle Hail. Right now, it might even be safer to be with him than on her own."

"How can you say that?!" Emily cried. "You saw what he did to her. She told me about him- about what he does to people he's angry at."

"I'm not saying Hail's not dangerous, Em." JJ raised her hands in defense. "I'm saying that Mackenzie knows his buttons better than anyone. She knows what to say and what to do to keep herself safe."

"One of those things just might have to be sleeping with him Jay." Emily pointed out harshly before reverting her gaze from the blonde. "You don't understand."

"You're right." JJ admitted. "I don't. But that doesn't mean I don't agree with you. We're going to get her back Emily."

"And what if we're too late?"

Her mind felt foggy. That was the only word Mackenzie could conjure to describe it as she awoke from her not-so-restful nap. Licking her lips, she desperately tried to get the ashy taste out of her mouth. _Being shoved into the back of a van, hands tied behind her back, someone shoving a cloth under her nose._ The memories came in flashes causing Mackenzie to bolt upright and her breathing to quicken. She had never seen this room before and assumed it was one of the many properties that Adrian owned all around the country. How long had she been out? _Where the hell was she? _The room was decorated elegantly, as all of Adrian's possessions were. _Including you,_ she thought to herself and shuddered. It was true that Mackenzie had not been accustomed to the fine clothes and expensive jewelry that she was all but forced to wear ever since meeting Hail. She was simple and much preferred sweatshirts and jeans to Chanel dresses and Swarovski pendants but Adrian wouldn't allow his _plaything _to be seen in anything but. Mackenzie curled up in a tight ball on the mattress and fought the urge to break down. When was the last time she cried? When she held the dying woman in her arms almost seven months ago? Trembling against the frigid air of the room, she huddled under the covers and drew herself as close to the wall as she could. _Calm down,_ she told herself. _If he sees you like this he'll just get angrier._ The sound of approaching footsteps could be heard and Mackenzie braced herself for his entrance. The door in front of her unlocked and Adrian strolled in, dressed as eloquently as a wealthy businessman. He sat at the edge of her bed and motioned for her to come closer. Reluctantly, she did, only to be pulled in by a rough hold on her neck. Her pulse quickened underneath his fingertips and she could have sworn she saw a flash of joy in his eyes. As his grip tightened, he spoke to her, his words mulled together by the sound of blood rushing past her ears.

"You're going to do something for me." He told her, leaving no room for discussion. As Mackenzie closed her eyes and let a few stray tears roll down her face and onto his hand, only one thought repeated itself in her mind.

_Help me Emily._

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**I love writing Mackenzie. By the way, I'd love to hear some suggestions you guys have as to what her ****_real_**** name should be. I already have one in mind but I'd really like to get some more ideas so please let me know! **

**PS. I love anything foreign sounding**


	20. Chapter 20

**Been doing a lot of writing recently (& reading) so I hope you guys like what's in store! It's currently 3:24 in the morning and I've written three chapters in an hour so I hope you'll forgive any spelling or other errors. **

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**XX**

JJ and Hotch sat in silence; her nibbling on her bagel and him sipping his coffee as they waited for Emily's doctor to finish administering her painkillers. JJ caught the glare from her boss that clearly said 'eat it or you're going home' and tried to force herself to take larger bites. She would deny it, of course, if anyone asked her whether or not her head hurt nearly as much as Emily's or if the room wasn't 20 degrees hotter than it was an hour ago.

"You guys should…go to bed." Emily told them as the drugs started to take effect. "Not together though." Both agents chuckled slightly.

"Don't worry about us Em." JJ said, stifling a yawn. Hotch approached the brunette and took her hand in his.

"We'll go as soon as you're settled." He promised. "There's a pair of officers outside and Rossi, Morgan and Reid should be back later."

"I'm fine Aaron." Emily waved him off with a droopy smile, her eyelids already beginning to close. Hotch bent down and placed a chaste kiss on the woman's forehead before backing away.

"We'll get you out as soon as possible." JJ told her friend, knowing fully well just how much Emily liked hospitals.

"M'kay." The brunette nodded. "Hey, JJ. Want to know what I just realized?"

"What Em?" JJ smiled, knowing the type of realization Emily had come to was only induced by her medication.

"Me, you and Garcia," she took a breath and raised an arm, pointing to empty air. "We're like the Powerpuff Girls."

"The…Powerpuff Girls?" JJ practically snorted and heard Hotch do the same behind her.

"Yea." Emily's eyes opened slightly as her enthusiasm at her revelation grew. "Garcia's Blossom cause she's smart. I'm Buttercup because I'm pretty tough for a girl and you're Bubbles because you're-"

"Blonde?" JJ offered. Emily nodded vigorously and JJ rolled her eyes. "Well alright Buttercup, get some sleep."

"Okay Bubbles." Emily smiled again as her eyes reclosed and her head fell against the pillow. JJ and Hotch shared a look of amusement as they headed out of the hospital and to their hotel.

"It's only," Hotch checked his watch as the two arrived at their destination. "Six AM. We can freshen up and meet the rest of the team at 11."

"Morgan texted me in the car." JJ told him. "They've been at the station for about a half hour but haven't found anything new yet. They said they'd call if something came up."

"Alright well for now let's just worry about ourselves." Hotch pressed the fourth button on the elevator and glanced at the blonde from the corner of his eye. "Are you sure you're alright JJ?"

"Hotch, I'm fine. It's just a cold." She told him with a roll of her wrist.

"It's not just a cold." He called her out on her lie. "Just…get some sleep okay?" JJ nodded, knowing full well that sleep wouldn't come easy until this case was over.

Her desktop from her apartment had been brought in by Alek and the third man that had been in the SUV. They set it up in silence, neither man even glancing in her direction as she bore her eyes into their backs. Minutes later, Hail returned with the same look in his eyes as before and Mackenzie couldn't help but take a step back.

"Why'd you want her to live?" he asked her suddenly as he took another step forward, backing her into the wall.

"I told you," she tried to sound convincing. "They would never stop looking for us if you killed her."

"Oh so now you care about _us_?" he spat causing Mackenzie to flinch.

"I always have."

"Bullshit!" he shouted and took another step towards her. Mackenzie avoided his gaze, preferring to stare at the opposite wall than at his cold eyes. "What'd you tell them?"

"Nothing." She forced herself to connect her emerald gaze to his golden one. Before she could move, Hail brought up a hand and wrapped his fingers around her neck, much like before although his grip was not as strong.

"I cared for you, I took care of you, I _loved_ you and this is how you repay me?" He snarled and brought his face dangerously close to hers. Mackenzie's breathing quickened as she realized just how close he was.

"I didn't tell them anything Adrian." She whispered and watched as he seemed to weigh her honesty. "I've never given you a reason to doubt me before. Why start now?"

"You've never been under the FBI's protective custody before." He shot back. "They don't just give that out to anyone Mac. You have to _earn it_."

"Well I didn't." she breathed, her voice rising in intensity. "You say _I'm _the one who doesn't care about us? _You're _the one so desperate to prove me disloyal."

"I wouldn't have to if you'd just do as you're told!" the grip on her neck tightened slightly as Adrian pinned her against the wall.

"They found my apartment!" she cried. "What was I supposed to do?! I tried to run."

"Well you didn't try hard enough, now did you?!"

"_This_ is how you prove to people that you love them?" she lowered her voice and tried to sound hurt. "I've done _everything_ you've asked; stolen from God knows how many people, covered up dozens of crimes _you_ would have been arrested for yet all you do is treat me like I'm not good enough!" Mackenzie shook herself out of his grasp as it loosened and crossed her arms defiantly across her chest.

"You're right." Hail lowered his head slightly. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright." She assured him and desperately tried to relax her muscles as he wrapped an arm around her waist and gently pulled her into him.

"I'll have some of your clothes brought over." He glanced at her dirty attire and brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear. "You can shower here."

"I can't go back to my apartment?" she asked, knowing fully well what the answer would be. He shook his head and a thought occurred to her. "How did you find me?" Hail chuckled and stroked her cheek affectionately. Mackenzie had to keep from shuddering.

"You didn't think I'd let you stray too far now, did you?" he toyed with the diamond pendant around her neck; last Christmas' present from him and she understood. He'd been tracking her since day one. Suppressing her enraged emotions at being followed like a lost puppy, Mackenzie offered him a small smile.

"Well thank you." She slowly raised her arms and wrapped them around his neck. "That agent was driving me up the wall."

"Well I can assure you, she won't be bothering you again." Hail chuckled and lowered his head to place a kiss on her neck. Grabbing the skin between his teeth, he sucked hard, no doubt leaving a mark that would be visible in a few minutes. Mackenzie ran her hands through his hair, pretending to enjoy it yet feeling like a cornered animal being led to its slaughter.

"What is it you want me to do?" she asked shakily, desperate to get his hands off of her. She felt him smile against her neck and couldn't help but roll her eyes. "You know what I meant."

"Unfortunately, I do." He pulled back and Mackenzie sighed in relief as he released her and strolled over to where Alek had set up her computer. "I need you to work your magic one more time."

"For what?" Mackenzie frowned as she took the seat the dark haired man offered her.

"I need you to hack into our friends at the FBI." Adrian grinned wickedly as he gauged her reaction. Mackenzie kept a bored expression plastered on her features as she listened.

"That's going to take a while Adrian." She cracked her knuckles for show and he pecked her on the cheek.

"I know you can do it love." He assured her and she offered him a tight smile in return.

"What am I looking for?" she asked as she powered up the computer and wracked her brain for a way out.

"Let's see how much they like it when we expose their undercover agents to the world, shall we?" Adrian's eyes flashed at the thought of so many FBI agents put in danger because of his actions. The thought excited him more than anything, including Mackenzie, ever could. He was too busy relishing in his joy that he didn't even bother to take in Mackenzie's horrified expression as she let his words sink in. Does she refuse and die a painful death at the hands of Adrian Hail or does she risk the lives of countless others in an attempt to save her own skin?

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**Actually had to ask a friend for an idea bad enough but not too unrealistic. Hope you guys like our combined effort! Review and let me know! Thank you in advance!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Keep up those awesome reviews! By the way, I have another (completed) CM fic up in case anyone is interested. Enjoy the chapter loves.**

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**XXI**

Stepping out of the most satisfying shower she had ever taken, JJ started combing through the knots in her hair as she took a seat on her bed. Glancing to her right, she saw Emily's bags lying untouched and couldn't help but feel another pang of guilt. She should have never gone alone. Shaking the thought immediately, JJ dried herself and dressed in a light blue blazer and black dress pants before applying some desperately needed make-up to hide the black circles and noticeably paler complexion. Just as she was finishing up, her cell phone buzzed as she received a text from Morgan.

_Garcia found something._

_DM_

Rushing to Hotch's door, she knocked and waited for the unit chief to open.

"JJ, it's only seven-thirty." He frowned, clearly annoyed that she hadn't taken time to rest.

"Garcia's got something." She showed him the message. "We should be at the station working with the rest of the team." Hotch sighed and nodded.

"Alright." He reached over and grabbed his wallet and keys. "Let's go."

"Hit us with it Baby Girl." Morgan spoke to the techie on speaker as Hotch and JJ got settled in the conference room.

"Crime fighters," Garcia's voice rang out. "Remember how I found Mackenzie's apartment by tracking the power source needed to hack into your oh-so-wonderful devices?"

"Yea." Morgan drew on the word and waited for a response.

"Well, call me old school but I tried that again and guess what?" she left a dramatic pause which the agents were accustomed to. "That's right, it worked."

"What'd you find Garcia?" Hotch asked.

"Greetings my liege. Well, I decided to recheck the signal along the road Emily and Mackenzie were and found something pretty weird." Typing could be heard through the phone and a map appeared on the screen in front of everyone. It displayed a twenty mile radius with hundreds of little dots, presumably signals needing cell towers to function. "This is two minutes before I turned your phones back on, which by the way, you're welcome." Nothing changed on the map. "Now watch the left corner as two minutes pass and your phones are reactivated." A single dot appeared that hadn't been there before.

"What exactly does that mean?" Rossi folded his arms and waited for an explanation.

"Well my Italian Stallion, that new dot is Emily's cell phone." Garcia informed them.

"The other dot that's moving with hers;" Reid pointed out. "What is it?"

"Excellent question Boy Genius and I'm glad you asked!" Garcia zoomed in on the area and the team watched as she tracked the blinking dots until they came to a stop on the side of the road, presumably when their car had been hit. "Something in the car that didn't belong to Emily emitted a transponder signal 24/7."

"You mean like a tracker?" JJ asked in confusion.

"Exactly like a tracker Sunshine."

"That doesn't make any sense." Rossi pouted. "That car was NYPD issued; there's no way anyone could have installed a tracker on it."

"Rossi's right, the car was in the department's lock up until someone needed it." Morgan added.

"What if it's not the car?" Hotch voiced. "What if it's something in it?"

"Something like what?" Reid asked.

"Like a person." The dark haired man responded, earning himself several confused glances.

"Not a person, Hotch." JJ shot out of her seat in excitement. "Something a person was _wearing_."

"How much do you wanna bet that Hail spent thousands of dollars on Mackenzie's wardrobe?" Morgan rose slowly and placed his palms on the table.

"Not just her wardrobe but her jewelry too." Reid pointed out.

"The outfit she was in would've cost at least $700." JJ added. "Not to mention the-" A thought struck the woman suddenly. "It's in the necklace."

"What is?" Morgan asked her.

"Whatever Hail's using to track her." Hotch chimed in. "There's no way she would have agreed to that so he had to have placed it somewhere she would never think to look."

"What girl looks for a bug when given a diamond necklace?" Garcia asked sarcastically.

"Garcia, can you track it?" Hotch asked the phone on the table.

"Only if it's still on Sir." She began to type furiously and each member of the team held their breath. "Damnit! He turned it off seconds after she was separated from Emily."

"Now how the hell do we find her?" Morgan grumbled and returned to his seat.

"Do we know what Hail used Mackenzie for?" Rossi asked only to receive raised eyebrows from his colleagues. "I mean, did the money she stole go to him?"

"Most likely." JJ rolled her wrist as she leaned back in the chair. "There's no way to find out since we don't have any official records on 'Mackenzie'."

"You can't find financial records on a person that doesn't exist." Reid mumbled to himself.

"Well what if we find her?" Morgan asked suddenly. "The _real _her. She can't be older than 20, someone _has_ to be missing her."

"Not necessarily." Rossi pointed out. "She could be an orphan."

"Or she could've just run away from abusive parents who never would've reported her." Reid added.

"What harm will it do to turn it anyway?" Hotch asked rhetorically. "Garcia, get the footage from the station and run Mackenzie's face through every missing person's database in the country."

"Be back in a flash my loves." She said and hung up.

"Maybe we'll get lucky and she told Emily something." JJ shrugged, doubting the idea.

"It's worth a shot." Morgan agreed.

"Why don't you two go back to the hospital and see how she's doing?" Rossi told JJ and Hotch, knowing that the only thing the two wanted was to see Emily again.

Five minutes later, the two agents were back in the SUV and headed straight to 535 E 70th street. It didn't take long for JJ to fall asleep against the passenger window and for Hotch to place his jacket over her at the next red light. About a half hour later, thanks to a fair amount of traffic, they were back in Emily's room waiting for her to wake up. Neither spoke, both too afraid to wake the brunette, so they just sipped on their coffee and got comfortable. Dr. Kyler came in and reassured the two of Emily's condition about fifteen minutes after their arrival.

"These are her pain meds." He handed the bottle to Hotch. "She'll be in a lot of pain, especially her ribs, for the next few days so make sure she takes them at the slightest inkling of discomfort. Oh and I don't have to tell you to keep her out of the field for at least another month."

"You definitely don't Doctor." Hotch shook the man's hand and accepted the release papers. "Thank you." After Garcia had cleared the medical personnel, Hotch and Dr. Kyler had gotten alone swimmingly, both men obvious concerned for Emily's welfare.

"I hope you catch him." the smaller man said in a quiet voice.

"Oh, we will." JJ assured him with an intense stare. Minutes later, Emily was slowly waking from her deep sleep and greeted her friends warmly.

"How are you feeling?" JJ didn't miss how Hotch's lowered his voice whenever talking to the brunette, giving it a much softer tone. She smiled to herself at the thought.

"Better. When can I-"

"I have your release papers in my pocket." He assured her with a smile of his own and she enthusiastically swung her legs over the side of the bed only to regret the sudden action. JJ and Hotch each grabbed an arm to ease her into a standing position as Emily tried to find a comfortable way to breathe.

"This is going to be so much fun." The older woman grumbled as the two released her. Hotch held out the papers for her and she signed swiftly.

"I'll let you get dressed." Hotch shyly pressed a kiss to her lips, wary of showing too much affection in front of JJ but Emily would have none of it. She grabbed the man by the collar and yanked him forward, only managing to stay upright thanks to Hotch's hold on the small of her back. JJ silently giggled like a little girl as she waited for the kiss to subside. Hotch avoided her gaze as he strolled out of the room with a smile plastered on his face.

"You guys are just too cute." JJ gushed as she handed Emily the bag she had packed for her. The brunette playfully shoved her shoulder.

"Just help me." She ordered and began sorting through the selection of clothes.

"Whatever you say, Buttercup." JJ snickered and Emily frowned in confusion as she began the annoyingly slow process of getting dressed.


	22. Chapter 22

**Hellooo! Hopefully you're all enjoying the story but I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving for Germany/Greece on Sunday afternoon and won't be able to update until at least Tuesday & I didn't want to leave you guys handing until then. Enjoy!**

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**XXII**

"Well, look who we have here!" Morgan beamed as he caught sight of the approaching party.

"Emily!" Reid shot out of his chair and made a b-line for the brunette, slowing only when he took her injuries into account, and hugged her tenderly.

"I'm not going to break, Reid." The brunette chuckled as she returned the hug with her one available arm.

"How you feeling kiddo?" Rossi placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and Emily smiled at the group.

"Better now." She approached the table and immediately dialed Garcia.

"Oui, oui mon amies?" the technical analyst's voice sounded.

"Comment vas-tu ma chère?" Emily asked the woman in flawless French, a small smile creeping on her lips.

"_Emily!_" Garcia squealed on the other line and proceeded to bombard the older woman with questions.

"Pen, I'm fine I promise." She assured her friend. "But we need to get to Mackenzie and for that, we need that big brain of yours."

"Oh, there is truth in that my lovelies." The woman cracked her knuckles on the other side of the phone. "Hit me with it."

"Okay, so we know that Hail had to have taken her somewhere he can control, somewhere he knows by heart." Morgan began.

"Garcia, check any properties he owns in-"

"36, nationwide."

"You've got to be kidding." JJ ran a hand through her still damp hair.

"It had to have been close; somewhere they could have gone to by car." Rossi said.

"What makes you think that?" Morgan asked the older man.

"If he wanted to leave, he could've done so months, if not years ago." Hotch explained. "There's something keeping him here."

"We assumed that that thing was Mackenzie." Reid stated. "Now that he has her, what's stopping him from leaving?"

"Unfinished business." Emily said, almost to herself.

"What d'ya mean?" Morgan turned to his partner who in turn, rounded on JJ.

"You remember what Hail said when we first saw him?" She asked the blonde. "About how business was going well ever since-"

"Ever since he rooted out the bad apples." JJ finished, her eyes widening as she understood where Emily was going.

"What did he mean?" Rossi asked the women who seemed to be deep in thought.

"Our victims!" Emily cried. "The brothers and Newton; _they're_ Hail's bad apples!"

"And that's why he killed them." Rossi nodded his understanding along with the rest of the team.

"There had to have been more to that though." Hotch frowned in thought.

"Yea, you don't just carve someone's chest in because they cheated you out of a business deal." Reid agreed.

"Unless he was sending a message." Morgan added quickly.

"To who?" Reid asked and knew the answer before he finished. _Mackenzie._

Three hours in and she had no progress to show whatsoever; not that she particularly cared. Mackenzie typed as slowly as she could without arousing suspicion and occasionally made a mistake or two that sent her back ten steps. Every time, she would mumble a curse to make it seem as though the process was a lot harder than she'd anticipated. Not that hacking into the FBI was easy; these people sure as hell knew what they were doing and didn't fancy intruders. One fatal mistake and she would say bye-bye to the programs she had spent three years building. Hail's lapdogs stood behind her, occasionally glancing over to make sure she wasn't trying to escape through the window and then returning to their game of poker. She rolled her eyes as she heard footsteps approach and the man himself enter the room.

"Any luck?" he leaned against her chair and breathed down her neck. She shivered in response.

"Adrian, this is going to take _hours_." She explained calmly. Sometimes the man could be so dense.

"It's _been_ hours." He growled at her, angered at her inability to produce the results he expected in the timeframe he saw fit.

"It's been three." She informed him without looking up. "I haven't even gotten through their first-"

"I don't want to hear excuses, damnit!" he screamed as he twirled her chair around to face him. "What's the problem, huh? Why are you so distracted?"

"I'm not distracted, this is just a lot harder than-" Adrian slammed his hand down centimeters from her head.

"What is it?!" he cried, inching closer and closer to her. She held his gaze momentarily before dropping it to her lap. "Is this about Cassidy?" Mackenzie took in a shaky breath at the sound of the man's name. "Is it?!"

"You're damned right this is about him!" She screamed, forcing him backwards and standing to face him. "You _killed_ him!"

"_I had to!_" Adrian approached her quickly but Mackenzie didn't waver. Tears had welled in her eyes and before she knew it, they were streaming down her face.

"You _wanted_ to." She shook her head in disappointment. "There's a difference." Grabbing her by the shoulders, Adrian squeezed until marks were left on her skin.

"_You're_ the reason he's dead. You're the reason they're all dead!" he shook her with every word. "If you had just _listened_ to me and done what you'd been told, showing you what I can do wouldn't have been-" Mackenzie's open palm made solid contact with the soft skin of Adrian's cheek and the man released her. She glared at him menacingly before realizing what she had done. Her eyes widened as he rapidly approached her and grabbed a fistful of hair. Mackenzie cried out as he swung her around, his grip on her too strong to wiggle out of.

"I hate you!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. "_I fucking hate you!"_

"You're going to regret that." He told her right before tossing her across the room and into a pair of wooden shelves nailed to the wall. The wood splintered and showered on top of the girl as she fell into a heap. Adrian lifted her up by the collar and backhanded her, sending her back to the floor. "You_ hate_ me?!" he kicked her once, twice, three times in the ribs as she tried and failed to stand. "Let me tell you what's going to happen;" he knelt down and resumed his hold on Mackenzie's hair, hoisting her slightly upwards as she winced. "You're going to finish that," he pointed to the laptop and computer on the desk. "Log in with your _beloved_ Agent Prentiss' password, find the information I want and put it on the black market under her name. _Then _I'm going to bring her here and we can have a little repeat of last time's party. Sound good to you?" Hail released her hair and Mackenzie crumbled to ball on the floor, too hurt to respond. "You have eight hours. Starting now." Hail signaled for Alek and the other man to leave with him and locked the door behind them, a grin growing on his face as he caressed the nail marks Mackenzie had left on his hand.

"Think she'll do it?" Alek asked his boss as they poured themselves a glass of scotch.

"I do." Hail took a sip from the glass Alek offered him and crossed his legs as he sat on the couch. Admiring the far off view of Manhattan from the window, Hail sighed before turning to the two other men in the room. "Watch her anyway."

"Watch?" Alek grumbled, clearly disappointed. The man had never made an effort to hide his desire for Mackenzie but knowing that she was Hail's kept her off limits. Under the impression that the recent bump in their 'relationship' signaled that his boss no longer harbored feelings for the girl, Alek didn't see the harm in asking. Before he could open his mouth though, Hail was on him like a lion on a gazelle, grabbing his collar and smashing him against the nearest wall.

"You wipe those fantasies from your mind, you hear me?" the dark haired man growled and felt his accomplice shiver in fear. "Today doesn't change anything. She is _mine_ and once I get rid of that bitch agent, she'll come back to me just like she did last time."

"Of course." Alek nodded furiously. "I'm sorry." Hail released the man and reached out to straighten the wrinkles he had caused on the other man's suit. He patted Alek's cheek with a smile and said,

"No worries." As he returned to his seat, a thought struck Hail. "Maybe if you keep her out of trouble, I'll let you have some time alone with _Emily._" Although she was no Mackenzie and far too old for Alek's liking, the man grew excited at the mere thought of having an FBI agent as his plaything.

"Sounds like a plan." He grinned and sipped on his drink.

"What about you Christoph?" Hail gestured to the larger man in the room. Christoph shifted and averted his gaze.

"N-no thanks." He mumbled softly. Hail turned in his seat and examined the younger man. He was tall, about 6'3, muscular and blonde. Hail remembered seeing something about ex-Special Forces in his file and a dishonorable discharge because of a fight he started with his commanding officer. People like him were meant to be seen- or rather _felt-_ not heard. Standing, he caught the man's shy blue gaze and narrowed his eyes.

"Something on your mind?" he asked calmly, fingering the rim of his glass.

"Just that…" The man trailed off into silence.

"No, please go ahead." Hail encouraged, genuinely interested in what the man thought.

"You didn't have to hurt her." Christoph all but whispered and Hail couldn't help but break into a grin. He chuckled at the man's soft heart but was enraged that someone so weak was under his employment. Turning around, Hail placed the glass on the table and shot a glance at Alek. The shorter man nodded slightly, understanding what Hail wanted, pulled out his Glock and aimed it at the blond.

"Christoph, I hate to inform you of this but-" Hail took the gun from Alek's hand, "You're fired." And pulled the trigger.


	23. Chapter 23

**Longest. Chapter. Ever.**

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**XXIII**

"Can you please go lay down before you topple over?" Rossi directed to the blonde on his right.

"Rossi's right JJ." Emily placed her hand on her friend's arm and was slightly surprised to see how warm it felt. "You have a fever and haven't slept in over 24 hours."

"You have one too." The blonde said defensively.

"But she also has a concussion." Hotch joined in. He had been waiting for someone to call the woman out, knowing full well that if it had been him she would have just brushed it off.

"We'll wake you the second we find something." Emily promised with a smile and watched as JJ seemed to weigh her options. She _did _feel like shit and it's not like they had gotten any closer to finding Mackenzie in the past two hours. Sighing, JJ stood and made her way to the couch in the corner of the room.

"Happy?" she asked the group in front of her who chuckled in response. Emily came and sat next to her, placing the back of her hand to the blonde's forehead.

"Not really." She frowned. JJ had had her temperature taken at the hospital- under Hotch's orders- and it had been a steady 99.7 degrees. Now, three hours later, it was easily over 100. "I'm going to get a thermometer." Emily left the room in search of the precinct's first aid kit.

"I was going to go get some food." Hotch stood and ignored the look on the blonde's face. "I'll pick you up some medicine." Emily returned and held out the thermometer with a scowl. Rolling her eyes, JJ opened her mouth and placed the device underneath her tongue. It beeped and Emily read the results.

"102.4?!" she cried. "Why didn't you say anything?" JJ shrugged.

"I feel-"

"If you say 'fine', I'm going to break your fingers." The brunette scolded her like a child as she practically forced the younger woman to lie down. "You don't have to hide from us, Jay."

"Look who's-" the woman yawned. "talking." Emily rolled her eyes dramatically, took the coat Morgan offered her and tucked it around the woman's thin frame. She felt JJ shiver at the warmth and shook her head.

"Just take a little nap. You'll feel better when you wake up." She murmured softly, watching as the blue eyes started to close.

"M'kay Mom." JJ shifted slightly and Emily got up to give her more space. Within seconds, she was fast asleep, breathing heavily as she curled into a small ball.

"She's almost as stubborn as you." Morgan pointed out and Emily punched him lightly in the shoulder.

"You mentioned food?" Emily turned to Hotch with a smile.

"Hungry?"

"Famished." She nodded. "I don't even remember the last meal I had."

"Well why don't you come with me and we'll bring something back?" Hotch asked warmly.

"What'd you guys want?" she turned and asked the rest of the team.

"Something greasy." Morgan stated and Rossi and Reid nodded in agreement. The dark haired couple nodded and headed towards the exit when they were stopped by a pudgy man.

"Agent Hotchner?" the two immediately released one another's hands and nodded. "I'm Sergeant Riley. I heard there was some…trouble regarding one of my officers? Waters?"

"There was." Hotch remained placid as Emily frowned in confusion. Surely they weren't talking about the incident in the precinct?

"I just wanted to apologize on his behalf and inform you that he will no longer be a part of this unit." Riley extended his hand and shook Hotch's firmly.

"Thank you Sergeant but I believe the apology should be directed to Agents Prentiss and Jareau, not myself."

"Of course, I'll let him know you think so." Riley made way for the two to depart and headed back towards his office to berate his now ex-Detective.

"What just happened?" Emily whispered as they wove their way through the cluster of officers and detectives.

"Waters was demoted." Hotch stated plainly.

"Not what I meant." Emily pinched his hand as he tried to envelope hers with it.

"I'll tell you in the car." He promised as he held the door open for her. She smiled knowingly and buckled her seatbelt, already drawing her own conclusions as Hotch drove to the nearest burger joint.

"You've got to be kidding me." Emily nearly choked on her iced tea as they gathered their order and returned to the SUV.

"I'm not." Hotch chuckled softly. "Apparently she had him almost in tears." Emily laughed wholeheartedly and Hotch's heart fluttered at the sound.

"That's my girl." The brunette adjusted herself before feeling her boss' gaze on her. Turning to meet it, she took in the slight twinkle in his eyes. "What?"

"You really don't know how beautiful you are, do you?" he asked her softly, reaching over to cup her cheek. Emily blushed and shifted her gaze to her lap but Hotch titled her head upward so that brown met hazel. She swallowed hard, not used to being looked at with such…longing.

"Aaron." She whispered, leaning in closer to inhale his scent. She saw his Adam's apple bob quickly and placed her hand on his chest to feel his racing heartbeat.

"Yes Emily?" he asked innocently and narrowed the distance between them.

"I'm sorry I-"

"Shh," he stroked her cheek with one hand while the other rested on her thigh. "You haven't don't anything wrong."

"Yet." She lowered her gaze in embarrassment and sighed. "I'm going to mess this up, I know I am."

"There is nothing you can do to make me stop loving you." Hotch said, his voice full of confidence and promise. Emily shook her head in disbelief.

"How did I get so lucky?" she asked herself aloud and Hotch chuckled, the vibrations passing through both bodies.

"I should be asking you that." He assured her, taking in just how insecure Emily Prentiss actually was. It baffled him how such a beautiful, strong, intelligent woman could see herself as just another grain of sand. "You're one in a million Emily." Her blush intensified as she wracked her brain for a decent response.

"You know that that makes me exactly like seven thousand thirty-"

"Emily?" Hotch interrupted her.

"Mhm?"

"You talk too much." He informed her and quickly closed the small space between them, pressing his lips against hers in a desperate hold. Momentarily startled, it took Emily a second to reciprocate the kiss but once she did, the battle for dominance began. Wrapping her uninjured arm around his broad shoulders, Emily yanked him closer to her, not caring about the objects in between them. Hotch obliged and crossed over to the passenger side of the car as quickly as he could, lifting Emily up slightly so he could get underneath her. Now straddling him, Emily finally had the opportunity to return the detailed attention Hotch had given her at the precinct days ago. Desperately trying to ignore the fire that ran through her as Hotch's hands roamed her body, Emily removed her lips from his, causing the man to groan in disapproval. The feeling didn't last long as Emily leaned forward and latched her lips onto his neck. The second her tongue met the sensitive skin, Hotch's body reacted and he groaned again, this time in anything but disapproval. Feeling the response he was having against her inner thigh, Emily smiled against his burning skin. She ground her hips forward, eliciting a throaty growl from the man. During her treatment, his hands had not been idle, currently caressing the soft skin of her lower back and moving upwards with ferocity. He ran his hands along her sides and Emily smiled in approval as she moved against him once more. He gripped her waist roughly and she shut her eyes at the feeling of his short nails digging into her bare flesh.

"Emily." He groaned and opened his eyes, taking in the sight of her which only caused his desire to increase. She chuckled, her eyes still closed, as she twitched her lower body again. He hissed in response.

"Aaron." She murmured in his ear, astounded at the response she was eliciting from the man. He seized her hips, stopping the motion from happening again and drew her in close.

"If you do that again, I don't think I'll be able to control myself." He whispered against her neck, causing tremors to pass through her as his warm breath met her already hypersensitive skin.

"Maybe I want you to lose control." She darted her tongue and flicked his earlobe with it, causing him to buck slightly beneath her. She felt him press against her center and her breathing hitched immediately.

"Not here." Was all he managed to mutter. Emily understood and a part of her agreed. Both wanted their first time together to be special and not in the back seat of a government issued vehicle. Reluctantly, Emily removed herself from Hotch's lap and felt a shiver pass through her shortly after. Hotch made his way back to the driver's seat and the two simply looked at each other and blushed. When was the last time either one of them had made out in a car? The same thought crossed both their minds and they couldn't help but laugh at their actions before heading back to the precinct; the bags of burgers crumpled and all but forgotten.

"What took you guys so-" Morgan shook his head as he took in the couple. "Never mind, I don't wanna know."

"Oh, grow up Morgan." Emily rolled her eyes at him as she passed out the bags of food. Glancing towards the corner of the room, she took in JJ's still figure, now completely enveloped by jackets.

"She was shivering." Reid explained before digging into his meal. Normally, the genius would never consume food that was so unhealthy for him but today was different.

"We got her some Tylenol." Hotch placed the bottle on the coffee table by JJ's head and took a second to examine her. Her forehead was sweaty; blonde hair stuck to her skin from the perspiration, her eyes darted around beneath closed lids and despite the pile of coats, Hotch still noticed the slight trembling. For the sake of his sanity, he removed his own coat and placed it gently over the blonde's uncovered legs.

"Garcia, what'dya got?" Morgan's hushed voice asked as the techie appeared on the screen. The woman in pink frowned at the sight of JJ asleep, knowing that she would never do so if she didn't absolutely have to.

"What's wrong with my Sunshine?" she demanded immediately, her own voice kept low lest she wake the woman in question.

"Just a fever, Garcia." Emily assured her friend with a small smile.

"Aw, my poor love cake." Garcia pouted. "She looks so cute with the whole no gun, no 'I'll break your hands' thing." Everyone shared a small chuckle as they glanced over at the blonde.

"Got anything for us Baby Girl?" Morgan turned the attention to the second blonde.

"Would I be calling if I didn't, Stud Muffin?" she arched an eyebrow.

"Probably." He replied with a smirk.

"Too true. Now," Garcia took a deep breath. "I need you all to remain calm. What I'm about to tell you is not…good news." Emily's heart caught in her throat.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, the fear evident in her voice.

"Exactly 7 minutes ago someone began hacking into the system." Garcia told them, a slightly panicked expression on her face. Wide eyed glances were exchanged as they each opened their mouth to ask a question. "_Before_ you all go Assassin's Creed on me, I'd just like to point out that they haven't gotten very far."

"What's 'very far', Garcia?" Hotch asked, a number of scenarios playing through his head; none of which he particularly enjoyed.

"Well for me to be notified they had to have gotten past at least a dozen firewalls and-"

"_A dozen?!_" Rossi cried only to be shushed by the rest of the team. JJ stirred and everyone waited for her to resettle before continuing.

"Calm your goatee, my love." Garcia said evenly. "The Bureau has over 14,000 firewalls and _then_ they'd have to actually enter the system which you cannot do unless you have access to a username and password which, as I'm sure you all know, are changed monthly."

"She could just hack through that too." Reid crossed his arms in thought.

"You think this is Mackenzie?" Garcia asked the group.

"Who else?" Morgan shrugged. "She's doing it for Hail, we just don't know what they're-"

"If Mackenzie's behind this then the only reason is because Hail is _forcing_ her." Emily defended the girl.

"Regardless, what could he want?" Rossi asked.

"There's thousands upon thousands of bits of information they could steal if they actually managed to get in." Garcia explained. "But after I had my seemingly annual nervous breakdown I made sure to reroute everything they do to my personal laptop."

"What does that mean?" Hotch asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Anything they do or gain access to, I'll know."

"But that won't stop them from _taking_ it." Morgan pressed and Garcia shook her head.

"Can you track it?" Hotch asked and Garcia lolled her head from side to side.

"I can try but to even get past those dozen- well now, three dozen, firewalls the equipment she has access to has to be just as high tech as mine." She sighed. "But if you guys manage to find out exactly where she is, I can shut it down within- _what the hell?!_"

"What happened?" Emily cried as they watched the analyst frantically bash the keys of her computers.

"_Garcia?_" Hotch demanded her attention.

"That clever little-"

"What is it Garcia?" Morgan asked as Penelope's eyes darted from one screen to another.

"She tricked me!"

"What do you mean?" Emily asked.

"Her cloaking program not only hides her location but the exact _time_ she started trying to get in!"

"Come on Baby Girl, we aren't all-"

"It means that she isn't hacking the 50th firewall; she's on number 12,543!"

"Which means that-"

"She can have access in less than 4 hours."

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**Hope the length warrants some extra special reviews! :P My laptop is still not fixed & I only have 1 chapter left in the doc manager so if I don't update for a while please don't hurt me**


	24. Chapter 24

**Sorry for the wait. Hopefully my laptop will be fixed soon & I'll be able to write another chapter soon. Enjoy!**

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**XXIV**

After leaving the technical analyst to her work, the BAU sat in silence for several minutes. Everyone was contemplating the reasoning behind this attack and not one of them was able to offer a viable solution. What could they be looking for? Whatever it was, they all knew that it would be damaging to the Bureau and perhaps life-threatening. Their thoughts were interrupted by a croaky voice calling out from the corner of the room.

"Well, don't leave me hanging." They all turned to see JJ sitting upright and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "What happened?"

"There's a…situation at Quantico." Rossi explained slowly, earning himself a confused look from the blonde. Emily seated herself next to her friend and resumed her role of den mother by placing the thermometer back into JJ's mouth, ignoring the surprised groan from the blonde.

"101.6." She declared to the room. "Take these." Emily handed the woman two Tylenol and JJ swung them back quickly.

"Now can someone please explain what I missed?" JJ stood and swayed slightly before righting herself. "You could cut this tension with a-"

"Mackenzie's hacking us." Hotch blurted out and JJ narrowed her gaze.

"Us?" she passed back the jackets everyone had lent her.

"The FBI. She's hacking in as we speak." Rossi clarified.

"Well we have to call Gar-"

"She called us." Emily sighed. "Apparently Mackenzie's a lot better than we initially thought."

"What do you mean?" the blonde asked nervously.

"Garcia gave her four hours before she has complete access." Morgan told her and JJ's eyes widened.

"Complete? As in…everything?"

"More than all of us combined." Morgan crossed his arms in annoyance.

"Maybe not _all_ of us." Rossi mumbled and shot a look in Emily's direction. Ignoring the comment, the brunette turned back to JJ.

"Apparently the only way we can stop her is if we find where Hail took her."

"And I'm guessing that's a lengthy list." JJ rolled her wrist.

"36 locations nationwide." Reid reiterated.

"Fantastic." JJ grumbled and took a seat at the table. "What have we told them?" She motioned to the handful of NYPD uniforms and detectives massing right outside the door.

"This doesn't concern them anymore." Hotch announced. "We solve their murders, now we have to handle our own problems."

"Did ya tell them that?" she tilted her head in question.

"Rossi, Reid." Hotch turned to the two. "Mind explaining the situation to our esteemed colleagues?"

"No problem." Dave and Reid left the room and were immediately cornered with questions by the department. They quelled the storm easily enough, allowing the remaining four to brainstorm in silence.

"We _could_ just have agents all around the country check his properties." Morgan suggested meagerly.

"That could take days." Emily sighed.

"How many of those locations are local?" Hotch asked and JJ scanned the list.

"22." She huffed. Still too many to check within four hours.

"We _cannot_ let Hail see any of those files." Hotch stated. "The amount of damage he could do-"

"Will do." Emily corrected. "He could locate anyone in the world, contact domestic and foreign terrorists, sell federal secrets on the black market; hell, he could probably find the President's cell phone number and the coordinates to Area 51 if he wanted to."

"Area 51?" Morgan lifted an eyebrow at the brunette. "Really?"

"You never know." Emily shrugged nonchalantly. "The point is, the second she's in we're screwed."

"Has anyone told Strauss yet?" JJ asked softly.

"This goes way beyond Strauss." Hotch explained. "The Director and the directors of the CIA and DOD have been notified."

"They're going to help?" Morgan asked in surprise.

"Right after the finish putting us through the saw mill." Emily grumbled. "And I mean us as in _us us_. Not the FBI, not Strauss, _us_." She motioned around the table.

"She's right." Hotch pinched the bridge of his nose. "If this gets out I suggest we all start looking for new jobs…preferably _not_ in law enforcement."

"There has to be a way to find her." JJ said, desperation seeping into her voice. "We can't just sit back and-"

"Crime fighters!" Garcia's voice shouted before her face even appeared on the screen. Rossi and Reid reentered the room at the sound.

"Don't tell me she-"

"Oh honey bunches; even Jesus couldn't get in that fast." Garcia waved her hand at Morgan. "How you doing sugar plum?" she directed to JJ. Just as the blonde opened her mouth to reply, Hotch's voice practically shook the room.

"Garcia, we don't have time. What is it?" he asked.

"Right, good point." The blonde's face contorted into what could resemble a grimace. "We have a slight…development."

"Good or bad kind of development Garcia?" Emily asked, inching forward slightly.

"I'm…not sure." She pulled up the image of her screen for the rest to see. "I just received a pretty strange email directing me to a hidden line of code in the virus being used to hack us."

"A hidden line?" JJ asked, a frown growing on her features.

"What's it say?" Morgan questioned.

"Well code doesn't _say_ anything, my dear. It just points me to-"

"Just click on it Garcia." Hotch rushed the woman and watched as she moved the cursor to do so. As the image snowed in and out, the team could barely make out the outline of a person's torso. It looked like they were leaning over the computer, covering the camera with their body. The room materialized and they all took in its surroundings; white walls, bed, nightstand, wooden door and-

"What the hell?" Morgan voiced their combined thought aloud as Mackenzie's face came into view.

As her senses slowly started to return to her, Mackenzie struggled to draw her knees to her chest in an effort to ease the ache all over her body.

"Shit." She groaned as she straightened herself against the nearest wall. Avoiding the splinters of wood that covered the floor around her, Mackenzie leaned her head against the wall and willed the throbbing to go away. She placed a shaky hand to her head and winced as she felt a slight burning radiate through her skull. Removing her hand, she saw that her fingers were specked with blood and immediately started wiping it against the carpeted floor. She remembered hitting and yelling at Hail. She remembered him slapping and kicking her after he tossed her against the shelf. What she didn't remember was how she had allowed her life to get this royally fucked up. Hugging her knees closer to herself, Mackenzie rested her head in between them and desperately tried to stifle the sobs that racked her body. She hurt everywhere and knew that there would only be more in the coming hours. _Hours_. _Eight hours_. Mackenzie shot up, grabbing the desk in front of her for support, and glanced at the clock. _Damnit!_ She had been out for over 2 hours leaving her with less than six to go. Stumbling into the chair, she tried to moderate the shaking in her fingers so she could type. She knew what she had to do; she just hoped she was smart enough to pull it off. Taking a deep breath, which she immediately regretted, Mackenzie resumed her own version of Mission Impossible as an idea brewed in her head. Smiling to herself, she knew that she had at least another hour before someone came to check on her and if she was quiet, possibly more. That would be more than enough time to get what she needed to do done. Minimizing the hacking system, she brought up a second hand program used for more menial jobs. Sending an FBI analyst an email shouldn't be too difficult, after all. Copy and pasting what she wanted the BAU's analyst to see, she sent the email anonymously and turned on the computer's built in camera. The light flickered on, alerting anyone who walked in to her plan and Mackenzie cursed to herself. How could she have forgotten that? Damn modern technology sometimes. Removing a bobby pin from the side of her hair, Mackenzie leaned over and tilted the screen forward, granting her access to the back of the desktop. She unscrewed the panel and worked her way around the wires to the one she wanted.

"Gotcha, ya sneaky little-" Mackenzie froze as footsteps were heard coming down the hallway and Mackenzie panicked. Severing the desired wire and watching as the light flickered off, she rushed to screw the panel back in before whoever was coming made it through the door. Hurriedly plopping herself back into the chair and sticking the pin back into her head, Mackenzie turned just in time to see Hail stroll back into the room. He glanced placidly at the mess their altercation had caused before returning his piercing gaze to her. She shrunk back unknowingly, not wanting to be anywhere near the man after what he had done to her. Avoiding his eyes completely, Mackenzie picked at her cuticles as he knelt in front of her. He reached out and stroked her cheek, brushing his fingers against the cut on her forehead. She flinched, which only caused him to tighten his hold on the side of her head.

"I-I still have six hours." She trembled against him and he flicked his wrist to straighten her head. Their eyes now locked, Mackenzie found herself breathing unevenly as the look in his golden gaze seemed awfully familiar.

"You have as long as I _tell you_." He growled, yanking on her hair for emphasis. Mackenzie suppressed a yelp at the sudden tug; her already aching head pounding against the intrusion. Her jade eyes, slightly dilated from a likely concussion, stared blankly into his as his lips connected with hers in a violent kiss. She struggled; wildly trying to move her head to the side and push him away while his tongue probed at her mouth. Mackenzie did the first thing that came to her mind: she bit him…hard. Hail cried out and shoved her backwards, nearly toppling her over the armchair, as he cupped his jaw. A slight sense of pride surged in the girl as she saw a small trickle of blood make its way down his chin. Wiping her mouth on her sleeve to rid herself of the metallic taste, Mackenzie frantically searched the room for an object she could use to defend herself. _The lamp._ She rushed towards it and reached out her hand, the small sense of pride vanished as she felt Hail's hand wrap itself around her waist. He squeezed hard, eliciting a cry from her lips, as her already bruised abdomen suffered more abuse. He landed on top of her, completely obscuring her view of the nightstand and the weapon she had chosen, and wrapped his large hands around her neck.

"_Get off of me!_" Mackenzie screamed as loud as she could. He seemed unaffected by her cries, clearly not worried about anyone hearing them, as he forced her hands above her head, one hand still set on her thin neck.

"You fucking bitch!" Hail yelled as he immobilized her hands above her. Kneeling on her thighs, he tightened his grip on her throat, a surge of joy hitting him as he heard her struggle to take in precious oxygen. Mackenzie's mind was working at full speedl fully aware of the situation she had gotten herself into. Hail on top of her, completely crippled, with a bed merely inches from the two. She tossed her head back and forth, ignoring the hot tears that streamed down her face, as she silently prayed to anyone that would listen. _This can't happen now! Not when they can see me!_ Slowly, Mackenzie dawned upon the fact that Hail had no intention of raping her; the ecstasy he felt at having her completely subdued was clearly more than enough. Black spots danced in the corners of her vision as his hold threatened to crush her windpipe. _Oh God, no please! I can't breathe! _Mackenzie's body twitched against her will, her hands desperately clawing against his own as she tried everything to lessen his grip on her. Opening her eyes as much as she could, Mackenzie took in the sight of a deranged Adrian Hail, his eyes wide, a smile tugging at his lips as he felt her weakening pulse beneath his fingertips. _Not like this, please not like this!_ As her body lost its battle against fatigue, her fight dissolved into nothing more than hacked sobs and squirming legs. Just as she thought that darkness would consume her again, she felt the weight lifted and cold air rush into her lungs at an alarming rate. She coughed and cried and clawed at her throat as her body greedily took in the much needed oxygen. Rocking herself to and fro, Mackenzie's gasps for air turned into outright weeping as the desperation of her situation finally hit her. She vaguely heard Hail tell her something but the blood rushing past her ears made it impossible to decipher. The only thing Mackenzie was aware of was the soft caress of the carpet and the burning sensation in her entire body as her vision dulled and her senses dissipated for the third time that day.

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**Sorry about the violence...okay not really. Let me know what you think!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Finally got to use my cousin's laptop. Hopefully when I go back to my grandma's house tomorrow morning my laptop will be waiting for me! Enjoy and thanks for waiting.**

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**Chapter XXV**

"Garcia, do something!" Emily's shrill voice cried as the footage before them grew more violent by the second.

_"Get off of me!"_ They heard Mackenzie scream as Hail completely immobilized her and wrapped his hand around her throat.

"Is he going to…" JJ asked quietly as she forced herself to watch the scene unravel.

"Garcia." Hotch glanced at the image of the analyst frantically typing away.

"I'm trying!" she shouted as the sounds of Mackenzie struggling to breath echoed in the room. They watched helplessly as her legs twitched beneath Hail and her sobs grew less forceful. "Oh my God, he's killing her!"

"Focus Penelope!" Morgan told her as tears started to stream down the woman's face. Suddenly, the scene ended and Hail began to stand.

"Is she…" Reid inched closer to the screen, looking for any sign that Mackenzie was still alive.

_"You better hope you get it right."_ Hail growled and left the room, slamming and locking the door behind him. Everyone held their breath as they waited for the girl to respond. Without delay, Mackenzie rolled herself to the side and began violently coughing and desperately trying to draw some air in. They saw the rapid rise and fall of her chest and a trembling hand ball into a weak fist before she went still.

"She's alive." Emily stared blankly at the screen.

"Yes," Rossi ran a hand through his thick, salt and pepper hair. "but for how long?"

"I don't care how long it takes, I don't care what you have to do but Garcia," Hotch's voice snapped the woman out of her trance. "Find her."

"I will." The analyst said before her face vanished from the screen. The unit chief allowed a brief moment of silence for everyone to collect their thoughts before speaking.

"I want SWAT and local LEOs on standby. The second Garcia has an address, we go in." JJ and Rossi left the room, one to call the nearest SWAT team, the other to inform the NYPD on the latest development. "Reid, Morgan, Emily, I want you sorting through Hail's local locations. Help Garcia narrow down the search. I need to notify the Director." He squeezed Emily's hand in reassurance before leaving the three to their paperwork. An hour later SWAT was itching to be on the move, the NYPD was idling roaming around the precinct, the directors of the FBI, CIA and DOD had demanded an update as soon as possible and Emily still hadn't taken her eyes off the unconscious girl on the screen in front of her.

"Why isn't she waking up?" the brunette asked the room. Morgan nudged Reid with his elbow, encouraging the youngest agent to comfort their teammate.

"Stra-strangulation is one of the most common forms of murder, preferably used in domestic violence cases against women. Of the three types of strangulation; manual, ligature and chokehold, manual is the least effective, essentially stopping oxygen to the brain and leads to unconsciousness in 7-14 seconds. Losing unconsciousness is not necessarily a bad thing; it just shows that the victim's body couldn't handle the strain and temporarily shut down to stop any unnecessary functions so the brain can recuperate." The genius took a deep breath and waited for Emily to respond. She turned her head slightly and offered him a small smile.

"She's going to okay." Morgan summed up, receiving another half-smile from the brunette.

"Alright," Emily stood and folded her arms across her chest. "What'd we got?"

Fingers slowly moved against the freshly cleaned carpet as a sound left her throat. Something between a groan and a sob escaped Mackenzie's lips as she struggled to rise to her knees. She glanced around the room and ensured she was alone before using the nightstand to rise to her feet. Probing around her neck, she could feel the raised edges of the bruises that had undoubtedly already formed. She outlined Hail's handprint and immediately felt the blood rush to her cheeks at the thought of the BAU witnessing the whole ordeal. Bringing handfuls of hair to the front in a fetal attempt to hide the marks, Mackenzie shuffled to the armchair and winced as she dropped herself into it. She leaned forward and dropped her head in her hands, the pads of her fingers skimming over the cut on her scalp from hours ago, and massaged her forehead. Everything hurt, her entire body was screaming- no, begging for any sort of reprieve but Mackenzie ignored the overwhelming desire to collapse on the bed merely eight feet from her. Instead she drew in a shaky breath and tried to recall the last thing she had done with the program. The screen flashed, drawing her attention, and a loading bar appeared. It was almost filled and the label read _90% completion. _Frantic, Mackenzie looked around the room in search for a pen and paper, knowing that if she spoke to the camera someone would hear. She scribbled and presented the paper to the screen in the hopes that someone was watching.

_Less than one hour left. I'm sorry._

"You getting that Baby Girl?" Morgan turned everyone's attention to the two screens. Garcia nodded in response, a fierce look of determination on her face as she continued to try to locate Mackenzie and Hail.

"Damnit." Rossi muttered, clearly not feeling too good about their odds as they read Mackenzie's note.

"She still has to get a username and password from someone to access anything." Emily pointed out.

"It took her six hours to hack into the FBI; how long do you think it'll take her to steal a password?" JJ crossed her arms.

"Garcia, we need that location." Hotch demanded and the techie squirmed in her seat.

"I swear Bossman, I'm almost there." She promised.

"We still have to _get_ to wherever they are to stop them." Reid said only to receive glares from around the room.

"Whose ID do you think he'll make her use?" JJ asked the group.

"That's the least of our worries right now." Emily groaned as she dropped herself into a chair.

"Isn't it obvious?" Rossi copied the brunette's action.

"He'll use yours Emily." Hotch shifted his gaze to the woman who simple scoffed in response.

"Should I pretend to be surprised?"

"_I got it!_" Garcia's cry echoed in the room, attracting the attention of a pair of uniforms outside the glass doors.

"Where?!" All six members of the BAU shouted at once.

"Galloway New Jersey. Address sent to your PDAs…now." Six devices beeped and the agents grabbed them in a hurry.

"Damn!" Morgan cried.

"What is it?" Garcia asked, her nerves already on edge.

"That's two hours away."

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**Not the best chapter but don't worry, I'm working on the next one! Let me know your thoughts!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Really sorry about the wait. Hope you enjoy this and know that I'm already done with the next chapter!**

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**Chapter XXVI**

"Agents!" a uniformed officer called out to them as soon as the glass doors opened. "We have a chopper on standby."

"Where?" Hotch spun and stepped closer to the man.

"Mount Sinai Hospital on 98th and Lexington."

"That's not even 10 blocks away." Emily said as she strapped on her Kevlar once more.

"We don't have time to wait in traffic." Hotch turned to his team and each offered him a nod of agreement before bolting out the door, SWAT and NYPD right behind them. The group of eighteen ignored the horrified looks of everyone they passed as they wove their way around the crowds and towards the hospital. Once they reached the front doors, a nurse pointed them towards the elevators and stairs leading to the roof. The whirl of the helicopter blades could be heard from two floors away and one by one, they piled in and were forced to leave several officers behind to await the second pick up. Morgan, Reid and Rossi stayed with the second group while JJ, Hotch and Emily buckled their seatbelts and tried to calm their nerves for the duration of the 45 minute flight.

"What's the plan?" JJ's voice echoed in the other's headsets after they had finally lifted off the ground.

"Hail's going to have men with him. Alek and probably others we don't even know about." Emily added.

"We go in first. SWAT can neutralize anyone who resists but we go straight for Hail." Hotch ordered and everyone agreed.

"Make sure we have EMTs waiting outside." Rossi reminded everyone.

"Blueprints of the property have been sent. Take a few minutes to familiarize yourselves with the layout." Hotch said and everyone took out their phones and studied the PDF file intently.

"Three points of entry in the main building." Morgan announced. "We'll want to split those up."

"Morgan and Reid, take four officers and cover the entrance by the boardwalk. Rossi, JJ and another four take the side and Emily and I will go in through the front." Hotch said. "We need to hit the ground running but remember; they don't know we're onto them. Let's keep it that way."

"What do we do about Mackenzie?" Reid's voice asked and an uncomfortable silence settled amongst the group.

"She's a friendly." Emily said sternly. "We get her away from Hail and his men as quickly as possible."

"What if she's-"

"She's not." Emily interrupted the boy genius, her tone signaling finality.

"Em's right." JJ agreed. "She's just a kid."

"A kid who's wanted for fraud, embezzlement, and theft." Morgan added.

"That doesn't mean-"

"ETA 15 minutes." The pilots' voices rang in each helicopter, silencing the BAU's argument.

"We can talk about the morality of Mackenzie's decisions later- preferably after we rescue her." Rossi rolled his eyes, itching to get to the girl in question. Communication between the two choppers ceased and each member gazed at the starry sky in silence. Hotch risked a glance in Emily's direction and watched as she rubbed her injured shoulder.

"I'm fine." She said before he could ask. JJ returned her attention to the window, allowing the couple a few minutes of not-so-private conversation. Although she could hear them, the blonde knew that her friends were comfortable enough around her not to mind.

"You really shouldn't have taken the sling off." Hotch turned his body, pressing his back against the side of the aircraft, and faced her.

"How am I supposed to kick Hail's ass with one arm?" Emily sneered.

"I'm sure you could manage." Hotch replied, taking his hand in hers and squeezing. "I just-I don't want-"

"I know." Emily's soft voice seemed to calm his nerves slightly. "Nothing is going to happen to me or anyone else."

"You don't know that." Hotch dropped his head and held his breath and Emily eased closer to him. "I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you." Surprised at the sincerity of the statement, Emily reached towards him and brought his eyes back to hers. The pain she saw in them shattered her heart and made her want to hide in a hole forever. She cupped his cheek gently as she continued to gaze into his hazel orbs.

"Aaron," she soothed him. "I promise you, nothing is going to happen. Please just…don't think about things like that."

"I'll try." Hotch forced a grin and brought Emily's hand to his lips. "But no promises." He kissed it tenderly and the two shared a small smile before remembering that they were not alone. Hotch cleared his throat awkwardly as he released Emily's hand.

"Please," JJ fought to keep the chuckle from escaping. "Don't stop on my account." Emily pinched the woman's arm and the blonde yelped in surprise but it did nothing to stop the ferocious blush that had taken over the dark haired couples' cheeks. JJ's blue eyes sparkled with mischief in the dimly lit aircraft as they approached their destination. As the helicopter began to decrease its altitude, each agent and officer checked and double checked their weapons, tightened their Kevlar and prepared to storm the house. They gathered a few blocks away and told the pilots to stay put until the raid was over.

"Everyone knows the plan?" Hotch asked the group. Everyone nodded.

"Alright, watch each other's backs and let's get this done." Rossi signaled for everyone to disperse, sending them to their predetermined paths. Hotch and Emily waited by the front door with their SWAT and NYPD counterparts for the rest of the team to get into position.

"Ready." JJ's voice whispered in their ears, signaling that the blonde and Rossi had arrived at the side entrance.

"Ready." Morgan announced seconds later. Nodding to Emily, Hotch counted down from 3 before kicking in the front door.

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**Shit's about to get real. Let me know what you'd like to see!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Sooo, about my laptop. Funny story. I'd be surprised if it was ready for my move-in day for college. I'm currently on my uncle's but he has multiple ones so he won't be needing it. I have up to chapter 30 completed & I'm really excited to share them with you! Thank you all for the amazing reviews and for reaching the 100 mark! Enjoy!**

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**Chapter XXVII**

Silence greeted them. Hotch raised his arm and without turning, motioned for two officers to make a right and the other two, a left. Checking to make sure Emily was still a step behind him, he led them down a narrow corridor. The house was bigger than they had imagined and Hotch silently hoped that they had brought enough manpower. A creak echoed in the hall to their right and both agents spun to meet it. The flickering of Morgan's flashlight could be seen bouncing against the walls; a warning to his colleagues that his group was coming around the corner. Morgan and Reid rounded the corner and nearly collided with the other two agents. Using hand signals, Morgan told Hotch that the back had been empty. Hotch nodded and was about to ask about JJ and Rossi's position when the sound of gunfire broke the calm they had worked so hard to keep.

"Well?" a cold voice startled Mackenzie from her semi-conscious state. The girl shot out of her chair and turned to meet the eyes of Adrian Hail once more.

"It's almost done." She assured him and motioned to the screen. _99% completion_. He smiled like a little boy who had just stolen back his favorite toy. Just as he was about to say something, the computer beeped and the screen flashed before changing to the login site of the FBI. Mackenzie's breath caught in her throat. _I actually did it_.

"Congratulations. You're officially on the FBI's Most Wanted list." Hail held out the chair for her to sit and she did. He tucked it in and placed his hands on her shoulders. Mackenzie tried hard to hold back the shudder from the base of her spine. "Now, the fun part."

"Adrian-"

"Don't try to convince me that this is a bad idea." His hold around her shoulders tightened slightly in warning. Mackenzie felt his eyes dance across the sides of her neck where his handprint was painted on her skin in blue. "I think you know what to do."

"They'll blame her for this." She hated how weak her voice sounded in his presence and how the sound of his laugh rang in her ears.

"That's the point love." Adrian leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss on the base of her neck. "Now get on with it." Mackenzie swallowed hard and began typing into a less advanced hacking program in search of Agent Prentiss' password. Barely 10 minutes later her shaky voice announced,

"Got it." Adrian hurried to her side and gazed in amazement as a wave of files appeared before their eyes.

"What to do, what to do." He chanted beside her as his eyes scanned the top secret information. Mackenzie purposely averted her gaze, afraid of seeing something she wasn't supposed to. "Ah!" Hail's finger pointed to a handful of icons on the desktop. One read 'Russia' and the other 'Cuba'. He giggled in anticipation as Mackenzie hovered the cursor, highlighted them and began downloading them to her personal laptop. "I'd imagine the CIA would be sharing this with them."

"Anything else?" Mackenzie's voice sounded bored as she waited for the files to transfer. Adrian's slightly rapid breathing against her neck gave Mackenzie the answer she asked for.

"I think it's time to celebrate, don't you?" he spun her chair around and placed his hands on the armrests, leaving her no room for escape.

"I'm not really in the celebratory mood." She forced herself to glare into Hail's amber eyes. All evidence of the fear she once bore of him was gone; replaced with a fire fueled by a mixture of anger and hatred. "Do you have any idea what you just did?"

"You mean what _you_ just did?" Hail's eyes twinkled with mischief.

"I didn't-"

"Have a choice?" he finished for her. "Mackenzie, my dear; you _always_ have a choice." Hail grabbed a fistful of her shirt and hoisted her to her feet. "You just seemed to have made the wrong one." He dragged her away from the desk and pressed her against the wall before crashing his lips against hers, biting hard on her lower lip. Mackenzie tried shoving him away with the heel of her palm to no avail. Hail only tightened his hold on her shoulder and used his other hand to begin lifting the back of her shirt. Feeling his skin against hers threw Mackenzie into a panic. She started pummeling her fists against his chest and squirming away from him.

"Knock it-" Mackenzie's closed fist made contact with Hail's nose, sending blood dripping down his shirt. Seizing the opportunity, Mackenzie sprinted for the door only to be stopped by the sound of gunshots ringing throughout the house. She opened her mouth to scream in hopes of drawing her rescuers towards the room, but succeeded only in tasting the blood on Adrian's hand as he clamped her mouth shut. She tried to bite him or land a solid kick but was forced back into the room and shoved hard. Her head knocked against the wall and she saw spots of black appear in the corner of her vision. Hail wrapped his arms around her neck, his hand still covering her mouth, and placed her in front of him like a shield. Drawing a knife from his front pocket, he held it against her throat and waited for a certain dark haired agent to make her way to them.

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**Not that long but all you have to do is review & the next one will be up in no time!**


	28. Chapter 28

**I don't think you guys understand how much I love your reviews! BY THE WAY GUESS WHO GOT HER LAPTOP BACK 15 SECONDS AFTER SHE POSTED THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER?! Good guess, me! Anyway thanks for everything & enjoy!**

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**Chapter XXVIII**

Emily knelt beside the body of a masked SWAT officer and pressed two fingers against his neck. Her anger flared as she found no pulse once again. Bullets flew left and right, shattering vases and mirrors and destroying furniture as they went. From where she was crouched, Emily could see JJ hunched over behind an overturned couch, exchanging shots with what they believed to be three of Hail's men.

"_Emily!_" JJ's scream drew her attention and the brunette spun just in time to shoot her sneaky would-be killer in the head. The man dropped heavily and nearly landed on top of her. He clearly wasn't sneaky enough. JJ exhaled in relief as she saw the man fall and her friend remain unscathed. The brunette nodded her thanks in her direction before scanning the room briefly. She placed two fingers up, signaling that she could see the remaining two men hiding. JJ nodded and glanced in the direction of the other room where Morgan, Reid, Hotch and Rossi were taking heavier fire. If the women could clear this room, then they could circle around and take care of the threats against the rest of their team without ever crossing their line of fire. A single curt nod later, both women tucked and rolled out of their hiding spots and surprised the remaining two men in their room with bullets to the head and neck. Neither man saw it coming. Without a word, they turned and wove their way through the littered room and into the next one. They spotted another two men, one reloading and the other checking to see if he could spot one of the agents. Silently, the women tiptoed directly behind them and pressed the barrel of their guns to each head.

"Drop it." Emily ordered the two. They could hear their team come out from their cover and approach them, guns raised and ready to kill either man if they dared moved against their teammates.

"You don't have to die. Just put your guns down." JJ's calm voice explained. For a brief moment, it looked as if the men might obey until they glanced at one another and came to some sort of agreement. With surprising speed, they spun on their heels and tried to knock the guns at their heads away. Both women knew not to fire as the rest of the team stood only a few feet behind the men, but held onto their weapons nonetheless. They stumbled and turned to meet their targets as six shots were fired into the air and three bodies fell to the ground.

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**Sorry for the shortness, there was just no way to NOT leave it there! Review for a speedy update!**


	29. Chapter 29

**Lmao your reviews are great! Sorry for making you mad...a little. Okay, not really it's totally fun! Enjoy!**

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**Chapter XXIX**

"Emily?!" Hotch's panicked voice cried as he moved closer to the brunette, smoke and debris obscuring his vision of the others.

"I'm alrigh-_JJ!_" Emily screamed as she caught sight of her friend lying unmoving directly in front of the now dead criminal. At the sound of Emily's cry, the men of the BAU sprinted in her direction and caught sight of the brunette dropping to her knees beside her friend. She cradled the woman's head in her lap and gently shook her. "JJ, wake up!"

"It caught her dead center at point blank range." Morgan knelt behind Emily. "Give her a second."

"Ow." A groan escaped the blonde's lips as she winced in pain. JJ opened her mouth and drew in a raspy breath as everyone leaned closer.

"JJ, are you alright?" Reid implored as they watched the blonde take in the room.

"Did I get 'em?" she asked jokingly, her face still contorted in a grimace, and everyone exhaled in relief.

"Yea JJ," Emily pushed a few strands of golden hair out of the woman's eyes. "You got 'em."

"Morgan, get her out of here." Hotch told the dark skinned agent and just as he moved to lift JJ into his arms, the blonde's eyes shot open and she shook her head.

"No, just help me up." She insisted, earning herself dumbfounded looks from every member of the team.

"JJ, you just got shot." Morgan said matter-of-factly.

"I barely even feel it anymore." JJ held back a wince as Emily and Rossi helped her to her feet. "We've wasted enough time." She bent to retrieve her gun and pressed a hand to her chest before returning to face her team. "Come on." Shaking their heads, the BAU knew better than to argue with the woman and simply followed her lead as they went to clear the upstairs.

"Status." Hotch demanded and they waited for a response.

"Fourteen of Hail's guys are down. Can't tell how many are dead." A familiar voice sounded in their ears and they recognized it as Waters' ex-partner, Ralph Mormont. "We've got four dead, two wounded."

"About another ten of Hail's are down towards the back of the property." The SWAT team leader's voice said. "Two of ours are dead, five wounded."

"Get the wounded out immediately." Hotch ordered and heard their confirmations. "That leaves the eight of us to take down Hail."

"Agent Hotchner," Mormont's voice said. "I just found a fire escape leading to an upstairs window from the side of the house."

"SWAT Leader, regroup with Detective Mormont and clear that room. We're making our way up now." The two men complied and Hotch waited for each of his team to reload. They nodded when they were ready- no one missing the fact that JJ kept a hand pressed to her chest- and proceeded to clear each room they came across. Gazing across the hallway to the only room with a light on, the team glanced at one another before Hotch placed a hand on the doorknob. _3,2,1_. The unit chief threw the door open and made room for the rest of the team to storm in.

"About time." Hail's exasperated voice drawled out as six guns came to face him. Each agent took in the sight of the man with a serrated blade against Mackenzie's alabaster throat. A line of red decorated the top of the knife and trickled down the girl's neck. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten us. Heard some commotion before; hope you're all alright." His gaze wandered to JJ who used only one hand to point her gun at him- the other was too busy clutching her chest.

"Put the knife down and let her go." Hotch demanded, his penetrating gaze fixed on Hail's amused one. The man chuckled in reply.

"Explain exactly how that would be beneficial to me." Hail quirked an eyebrow in question.

"I won't put a bullet through your eye." Emily snarled at the man. Hail's grin widened.

"Emily, how nice to see you again. How's your head?"

"A hell of a lot better than yours is about to be." Morgan took a step towards him and Hail took one back.

"Careful now, we wouldn't want an _accident_ now would we?" He emphasized his point by pressing the switchblade harder against Mackenzie's neck. The girl winced and twisted in his arms, trying to pull them off of her. Her emerald eyes frantically searched for Emily's and latched onto them. The dark haired agent made a hasty decision and raised her hands in a sign of surrender after holstering her gun.

"Adrian, just let her go." She begged the man. He frowned in return, unsure of her plan, and took another step towards the window at his back.

"Why would I do that?" he narrowed his gaze at her, seemingly forgetting the remaining five agents in the room.

"Because we have nothing on you. This- all of this- falls on her." Emily pointed at the girl in his arms whose eyes widened in panic. She opened her mouth to defend herself but Emily simply continued. "You think she's just going to get away with stealing all that money?"

"I'd hope not." Hail grumbled as if Mackenzie had offended him by stealing it.

"We just want her. Please, just give her to us. We don't want to hurt you." Emily saw realization in Mackenzie's eyes and almost sighed in relief. Hail shifted, his grip on the girl's chest loosening slightly, until the faint sound of the computer beeping demanded his attention. Turning slightly with Mackenzie in tow, Adrian rapidly read the notification that flashed on her personal laptop.

_Error. Files corrupted. Transfer terminated. _

"What the hell is this?!" Hail screamed in Mackenzie's ear and pressed the blade harder against her neck. Taking in the lack of surprise on Mackenzie's features, Emily guessed that the error had been no accident; unfortunately, so did Hail.

"It's over Adrian." She spoke before he could think of harming the girl. His hold on her had tightened, her body now completely pressed against his and his head hiding behind her shoulder. Luckily, Mackenzie was blissfully unaware of the look in Hail's eyes and the snarl on his lips.

"Have you been _helping them_ this whole time?!" he ignored Emily. "Did they _know about this?!"_

"Yes." Came Mackenzie's calm reply. The one word answer seemed to throw Hail into a fury. He grabbed her by the neck and, squeezing the already bruised area, increased the pressure as he spoke.

"I swear to God, I'll make you regret this." He threatened. "You and this _fucking bitch_!" he jerked his head in Emily's direction.

"This doesn't change anything Adrian." Emily assured him. "Put the knife down and we can all go home." She holstered her gun and raised her hands in an attempt to show that she meant no harm.

"You think I won't do it?" His eerily calm voice disturbed the agents to their core. His posture relaxed, his grip on Mackenzie's neck still vice-like, as he dragged the knife over her cheeks and eye. "I'll carve her up like a pumpkin on Halloween."

"No you won't." Emily tried desperately to sound sure of herself. The look of horror in Mackenzie's eyes did more than spur her. "You won't hurt her because she actually loved you. For the first time in your life, someone cared about you and you're mesmerized by it." She had his attention. "You feel nothing for no one and the fact that you managed to convince her to have genuine feelings for you intrigues and astounds you. All those men down there; the ones that died for you; you never cared about them. They were puppets; pawns to use in your battles. You would have killed every last one of them to get what you wanted. You won't kill her because then they'll be no one left; no one to feel bad for you while you rot in a cell and no one to mourn for you when they put that needle in your arm."

"I thought you said you weren't interesting in arresting me." Hail taunted, a slight smile dancing on his lips.

"I lied." Emily announced nonchalantly. "But it doesn't matter because one way or another, the life you knew is over. Letting her go is the only way you can ensure that someone would be there for you when the time comes." Hail stood, seemingly stunned into silence at the idea that someone would speak to him in that way. He opened his mouth but said nothing, contemplating the truth of Emily's words when the agents caught sight of movement behind the man. It was Mormont and the SWAT leader climbing in through the window. Emily opened her mouth to order them to stand down but only as the first word left her lips did she realize that it was too late. Hail heard the sound of footfalls and spun, Mackenzie still in his grip, to meet the intruders. Just as Emily shouted _don't!_, the sound of two gunshots vibrated through the air.

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**Someone should really institutionalize me. muahahhaaaa!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Sorry for the wait, I was enroute to my home in the US from Greece. Now I'm finally here but I move into college in 3 days so please don't expect rapid updates even though the chapters ****_are_**** completed. Loved your reviews thank you sooo much! Enjoy and remember that killing me/burning down my house is illegal in every country!**

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**Chapter XXX**

"_Don't!_" Emily cried seconds before the room crackled with gunfire. She saw the look of alarm that crossed Mormont's features as he realized what he had just done. Hail and Mackenzie fell forward, a pool of bright red blood gathering underneath them, and Emily dashed forward. She shoved Hail's body off of the girl with the help of Morgan and frantically turned Mackenzie over.

"He's still alive." Morgan announced and each agent put away their guns. Emily was too busy searching for a pulse on Mackenzie's neck to care. Rossi and Reid knelt by Hail's side and each placed their hands on top of a bullet wound.

"She's alive!" she cried the moment she found one.

"I-I didn't- I mean I just-"

"Go downstairs and call for the EMTs." Rossi told the Detective in a calm voice. The man did as he was told, his eyes cast on the ground. JJ eased herself to the ground on the opposite side of Mackenzie's unconscious body and gingerly removed her blazer. She pressed it against the girl's wound and felt her hands immediately soak in blood.

"Mackenzie, open your eyes." Emily pleaded with her. "Come on, just open them."

"Seems like one shot got his shoulder, the other went through her and hit him square in the chest." Morgan observed as he glanced at Hail's body. Emily continued patting the girl's cheeks and calling to her as Morgan hurried downstairs to find the medics. JJ pressed harder against the injury and Mackenzie groaned awake.

"Just hold on." JJ cooed. "Help is coming."

"Y-you came." Mackenzie's half-opened eyes found Emily and the woman's eyes were suddenly wet with tears.

"I promised I would." She offered a small smile before placing a hand on top of JJ's and doubling the pressure on Mackenzie's abdomen and causing the girl to cry out in pain. The bullet hit directly in between her ribs and undoubtedly landed in her stomach or liver. If they didn't get her to hospital soon, she'd bleed out before their eyes.

"Everything's going to be okay. Just-just hold on." More tears fell from Emily's cheeks to the floor beside Mackenzie's head as she desperately tried to comfort the girl. Mackenzie shut her eyes tightly, a wave of pain washing over her. She sucked in a breath and struggled beneath JJ's hold.

"Ruined your…coat for me." She offered the blonde a grin, hoping that it forgave the hours she had tormented her all those days ago.

"You can buy me a new one with your 6 mill." JJ smiled down at the girl, her own eyes brimming with tears. Mackenzie let out a sound related to a laugh before falling into a fit of coughs. Blood spurted from her mouth, landing on both women's necks and chests.

"M'scared." She breathed out as more blood flowed down her sides, staining the once immaculate floor. The confession was too much for Emily who closed her eyes and allowed more tears trail down her face. She stroked the girl's cheek and brushed beads of sweat away.

"Don't be. You're going to be fine." Emily promised her as she wiped specs of blood from the corners of her mouth.

"I want my mom." Mackenzie whimpered between the sobs that wracked her body, her tears mingling with the blood puddled by Emily's knees. Emily's shoulders shook as she lowered her head and squeezed her eyes shut tightly, willing the scene away.

"We'll-we'll get you your mom sweetie, just hold on okay?" Emily sniffled. She felt a large hand being pressed against her back and knew it was Aaron but couldn't bring it upon herself to break the stare she had with the dying girl.

"EMTs are almost here!" an out-of-breath Morgan rushed into the room and announced. He took in the scene and glanced at his boss who shook his head. Both men knew they wouldn't make it in time.

"M'sorry." Mackenzie's eyes shut tightly as her vision began to cloud.

"None of this is your fault." Emily grabbed the girl by the scruff of her neck and eased her into her lap. She shared a quick look with JJ whose big blue eyes spoke the truth she didn't want to hear. Mackenzie blinked rapidly, her mouth agape, desperately trying to draw in more air as her body began shutting down.

"Em-Em'ly." The green of her eyes was almost gone; darkened and half-covered by eyelids as Mackenzie grimaced once more.

"I'm right here. Don't fall asleep!" Emily shook the semi-conscious girl. "I-I don't even know your real name." By the time Emily had completed the sentence, three EMTs had burst into the room and began prying her away from Mackenzie's body. She didn't remember how she had come to stand in a corner with JJ, both women covered in blood with silent tears streaking down their faces, watching as the three in blue worked to start Mackenzie's heart back up again. The only thing she remembered is thinking that now, she never would.


	31. Chapter 31

**I kind of, sort of, maybe spent over $1,000 today ... yea, I had to confess to someone who won't kill me. Okay then, enjoy!**

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**Chapter XXXI**

The front lawn was chaos. Nearly a dozen ambulances had been called to carry out the wounded officers and each one had their lights flashing, illuminating the Jersey street at 1 AM. Emily blindly trailed behind the gurney Mackenzie had been placed on and listened to the medical terminology the EMTs rattled off. The girl was alive, but only just. Technically, Mackenzie had been legally dead for three minutes and seventeen seconds before the paramedics brought her back. She was only semi-conscious now; her eyes half open and staring blankly into the night sky as she was stripped of her shirt and attached to wires and ventilators.

"Emily. Emily." She turned slowly and met the concerned eyes of Aaron Hotchner as he placed a hand on the small of her back.

"I have to go with her." She mumbled, already making her way to the loaded ambulance only to be stopped by Aaron's hand on her shoulder.

"Emily, you and JJ should get cleaned up." He saw the momentary flash of panic across her features and quickly added, "I'll go with her." Emily felt torn between wanting to be wrapped in Aaron's embrace and knowing that Mackenzie shouldn't be alone. "Come to the hospital when you're ready and we can get JJ checked out too."

"JJ doesn't need to be checked out." The blonde in question appeared behind him. "Come on Em, you can drive." She handed the brunette the keys and began to make her way to the black SUV with small steps. Emily caught up with her after watching Aaron take a seat next to Mackenzie's side and took the blonde's arm.

"Are you alright?" she whispered, afraid of whatever the answer may be. She examined the woman from top to bottom; taking in her blood stained hands, neck and blouse and realized that she must look exactly the same.

"Don't worry about me." JJ patted her arm and accepted the help getting into the passenger side. A hand still pressed between her breasts, JJ buckled herself in and watched as her friend turned on the ignition in a trance-like state. "Emily."

"Hm?" she mumbled, still looking straight ahead.

"She's going to be okay."

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do."

"How?" Emily turned her head and gazed into JJ's blues with a hollow look.

"Because she's a fighter. Surviving is what she's done for the past who knows how many years and she's not about to stop now." JJ tried taking a deep breath and failed, stifling a cough in the process.

"You're right." Emily blinked hard and wiped some dry blood on the front of her pants before exhaling.

"I know." JJ offered her a sly grin which she willingly returned. "Now please put this thing in drive so I can get some Advil."

Emily and JJ had called Garcia and asked the techie to book the team a hotel room near the hospital. There was no way they would be leaving Jersey until Mackenzie's case was closed and the girl was back on her feet; Emily made sure of that. As they pulled into the hotel parking lot, the women couldn't help but gawk at the exterior of the building. They checked-in, all the while mesmerized by the elaborate architecture and expensive looking decorations, and eagerly went to find their room. Garcia had arranged a master suite; complete with 3 bathrooms, 6 beds, a kitchen and a common room, and the women were more than excited to get to it. Emily swiped the card she had been given and entered first, followed by JJ who by this time was practically limping.

"The Bureau's 'thank you' is definitely appreciated." Emily joked as she took in the room and tossed both go-bags on the floor.

"Mhm." JJ replied and Emily turned to face her. From the time it took them to get from the elevator to the room, JJ's face had contorted into a frown and her hand pressed hard against her chest as if she was struggling to breathe- which Emily guessed she was.

"Sit down." The brunette ordered and JJ, in too much pain to refuse, did as she was told. "Raise your arms."

"I…don't think I can." JJ admitted, her eyebrows bunching together.

"I'm taking you to the-"

"_Don't _say 'hospital'." Emily frowned and crossed her arms. "I'll be fine; I just need to sleep or something."

"JJ, you weren't more than 5 feet away when he shot you. You could have shattered ribs or a punctured lung or-"

"Seriously Em, I'm okay." JJ insisted, earning herself a nasty glare from the older woman.

"Take off your shirt."

"Say what now?" JJ cocked an eyebrow in response.

"If you won't let me take you to a hospital then at least let me see how it looks." Emily rolled her eyes in impatience. JJ sighed and slowly began unbutton her blouse.

"If this is fulfilling some twisted fantasy of seeing me shirtless-"

"I've seen you shirtless before crazy woman." Emily chuckled and watched her friend struggle as she tried to shrug the shirt off. Walking behind the woman, Emily tugged one sleeve then another until JJ remained in jeans and a bra. Both women glanced at the blonde's chest which had turned a shockingly vibrant shade of purple.

"No v-necks for a while huh?" JJ joked.

"Unless you want people thinking you and Will like it rough." That earned a pained laugh from the blonde.

"There's rough and then there's this." JJ thought for a moment. "Speaking of rough…how's _Aaron_?"

"What does that possibly have to do with-"

"Oh come on, we all know how SSA Uniformity likes-"

"For the sake of your well-being, do _not_ finish that sentence." Emily blushed furiously, knowing exactly what the blonde was inferring.

"Don't get me wrong, he's my friend and I'm happy for you guys," JJ took a step closer to her. "but I'm sure you know what'll happen if Garcia and I don't get the juicy details."

"Your shattered ribcage is making you delusional." Emily ducked away from the woman and threw herself onto one of the beds. JJ stifled a chuckle.

"Sure it is." JJ winked her way. "I'm going to shower. You should too if you want to get to the hospital."

"I'll wait for you to finish." Emily was afraid of leaving the blonde alone for too long. She might act alright and attempt to cover up the pain she was feeling, but Emily knew from experience that damaged ribs could easily result in something more. JJ nodded her understanding and took her bag into one of the bathrooms. Two hours later, both women were freshly washed and put together enough to make their way to the hospital. Emily texted Aaron before they left, letting him know that everything was alright but that JJ would have to be seen by doctor- whether or not she wanted to- when they arrived. He agreed and twenty minutes later, the BAU women pulled into the parking garage of the Atlantic Urgent Care Hospital.

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**I know these chapters have been shorter than usual but I couldn't really put them together since it would take away the whole drama/cliffhanger perspective. Hope you can forgive me!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter XXXII**

"Any news?" Emily asked before anyone had a chance to even notice their arrival. Hotch was out of his chair immediately, offering it to the brunette who refused with a gentle wave of her hand.

"Nothing yet but it's only been 3 hours." He assured her with a hand to her back. Emily smiled up at him, partially forgetting the audience the two had until Reid spoke.

"How are you feeling?" He asked JJ, who rocked her head side to side.

"I've been better." She admitted and accepted the seat Morgan offered her with a smile. She closed her eyes for a moment and the team watched as her chest heaved in an attempt to draw breath.

"This is Doctor Monroe." Hotch introduced a rather tall, skinny woman with black hair and dark blue eyes. "She's going to take you for an x-ray."

"Is that an order?" JJ half-smiled at him and raised an eyebrow in question.

"Yes. Now go." Hotch demanded and JJ sighed as much as she could.

"Great." She groaned as she began to stand. Rossi leaned forward and offered her a hand. "Another woman gets to see me shirtless."

"When did _this_ happen?" an overly-excited Morgan shot a look at Emily.

"Yes, Emily," Hotch turned to the woman beside him. "When _did_ this happen?"

"You're all very funny." The brunette playfully nudged him with her shoulder.

"Agent Jareau, I'm Alexandra." Dr. Monroe held out a hand and JJ shook it as she righted herself.

"Considering how close we're about to get, you can call me JJ." JJ crossed an arm across her abdomen as she walked- or rather wobbled- away with Alexandra.

"Wow," Morgan called after them. "I got shot too." The team chuckled at his drooling expression.

"You know, wishes _do_ come true, Morgan." Emily tapped her sidearm with a finger. "Speaking of wishes, you guys should see our hotel room."

"_Room_?" Rossi raised an eyebrow. "As in singular?"

"It's a master suite with a bed for each of us." Emily assured him.

"Damn." Morgan snapped his fingers in disappointment only to receive a smack on the shoulder from Emily. Instinctively, Hotch took a protective step closer to the brunette, not sure how he felt about the flirtationship she had with the dark-skinned agent. Emily sensed his discomfort and subtly leaned into him in an attempt to reassure him.

"Seems like the Bureau wants to congratulate us for a job well done." Rossi nodded in approval.

"I wouldn't count today- or yesterday- as a win Dave." Emily crossed her arms.

"Why not?" he questioned. "We got the bad guy, saved the victim and kept classified information out of a sociopath's hands."

"Speaking of the bad guy…"

"Hail's still in surgery too." Hotch informed her. "Don't worry, they're nowhere near one another, there are two guards with him at all times and he's handcuffed to a bed."

"Have they said anything about him?"

"Only that it doesn't look good." Morgan shrugged.

"Can't say I'm sorry." Emily admitted and received no argument from the others. One, two hours eased by slowly with no word from any of the three doctors. The team grew more agitated by the minute, craving information about any one of the three they had admitted.

"What is taking so long?" Morgan sighed and rose from his seat. He paced the room just like Emily had five minutes prior.

"Mackenzie and Hail's surgeries could take up to fifteen hours since-"

"But where's JJ?" Emily asked as she approached the nurses' station across the hall. "Excuse me, I'm looking for-"

"Agent Hotchner." The smooth voice of Dr. Monroe had every agent on their feet. "Sorry for the wait, we-"

"How's JJ?" Emily nearly crashed into the woman as she sped-walked towards her.

"She'll be alright." Monroe assured her. "When I was looking at her x-rays I noticed some faint scarring on her lungs. Has she been sick recently?"

"She spent an extended amount of time in a rainstorm a few days ago." Rossi explained.

"Did she have a fever?" Monroe frowned slightly.

"Yea, 102.4 at first but we brought it down to 101.6." Emily recalled the numbers by heart.

"She told me she was shot?" Monroe glanced at her notes before addressing the team.

"Point blank." Morgan nodded before realizing she might not know what that meant. "About 4 feet away."

"That would explain the bruising and internal damage." Monroe nodded as she jotted something down in her notepad.

"Damage?" Emily asked. "What damage?"

"JJ has 6 broken ribs; two of which almost detached from her ribcage completely, compromising her right lung which was already damaged by the cough she had." Monroe explained. "She was in some pain and was sporting a 100.6 fever so I gave her some sedatives. She's sleeping it off now in room 412. You're welcome to-"

"Which way?" Emily, Reid and Rossi asked in unison. Monroe smiled and pointed behind her.

"She's still resting." Monroe called after them. "Try not to stay too long!"

"Don't worry Doctor," Morgan took a step towards the woman. "I'll make sure they leave her alone."

"Yes," Monroe shifted her stance. "I'm sure you will. Well, I have to go finish my rounds."

"Thank you Doctor." Hotch shook hands with her before returning to his seat, leaving Morgan confused at the woman's reaction or lack thereof.

"God, she is so stubborn." Rossi sighed as he took a seat besides JJ's bed. "You know that the second she wakes up she's going to try to leave."

"I'm well aware." Emily took the seat opposite the man and stared at her best friend. "She tried convincing me it was just a bruise." As JJ's chest heaved, the purple and blue mass on her chest seemed to draw everyone's attention.

"How bad is it?" Reid asked, his face child-like in its innocence. Emily covered his hand with hers in a comforting gesture.

"It's about the size of Derek's hands." She explained.

"_Both_ hands?" the man in question entered with a grin. "You know what they say about a man's hands…"

"Feel the need to overcompensate Morgan?" the brunette raised an eyebrow and Morgan chuckled.

"You let me know when you'd like me to disprove that theory of yours Princess." he winked at her. As Emily opened her mouth to continue the playful banter, she saw the face of her boss appear behind her partner and immediately shut it.

"We heard what Dr. Monroe said." The unit chief said and Emily inadvertently avoided eye contact with him. "Let's give JJ some peace and quiet and check out our room." Everyone but Emily nodded in agreement and turned to leave.

"Aaron, I'm-"

"Stay with her until I get NJPD here. No one without a hospital ID-"

"Gets in, yes I know." Emily reached out and grabbed his arm as he turned to leave. "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry for Prentiss." A look of hurt flashed across Emily's eyes but was quickly extinguished. She released him and took a step back before seating herself in the chair Rossi occupied, her back to him. Without a word, she listened to his footsteps as he left the room and crossed her arms across her chest, feeling an all-too familiar chill.

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**So my loves, I'm moving into college tomorrow morning & even though the previous chapter didn't get the amount of reviews I usually aim for, I didn't think it was fair to keep you waiting for too long. Please don't expect a speedy update since I have welcome week events that are mandatory and classes start on Monday. I want to focus on getting settled and organized with my classes and new life so I'll apologize in advance! Leave me some love! **


	33. Chapter 33

**Hey everyone, it's me, you're favorite college freshman! Yes, I moved in and the first week of classes are done but I'm already ready to graduate (anyone know how far away 2017 is?). Anyway, I hope you guys are still with me and will continue to bear with this weird ass schedule of mine for the moment. I'm still getting adjusted- as some of you can relate to- but there is NO WAY I'm dropping this story. I hope you all enjoyed your summers (and this story!) but I'm sorry to say that...it's over. Yea, depressing I know! Anyway enjoy the sorta extra long chapter and leave me your thoughts! **

* * *

**Chapter XXXIII**

Emily hadn't realized that she dozed off until the sound of a door closing startled her awake. She shot out of her seat, hand on her already unbuckled holster, and spun on her heels.

"Whoa." Dr. Monroe stopped dead in her tracks and raised her hands. "I come in peace?"

"Sorry." Emily loosened her muscles and sank back into the chair. Watching as Monroe checked JJ's chart and vitals, Emily massaged the back of her neck that cracked in protest.

"Are you-"

"Yes, just…agitated." Emily waved away the concern in the doctor's voice.

"I, uh, heard what happened. That girl they brought in and…that man." Monroe glanced nervously around the room. "Is it true what they're saying about him?"

"What are they saying?" Emily continued to stretch, only partially invested in the conversation.

"That he's a mobster from Manhattan and she was his…well she lived with him and he used her to steal millions." Monroe rattled off the daily gossip.

"No Doctor, that's not true." Emily sighed and the woman before her seemed relieved. "She stole _billions_."

"Oh." Monroe crossed her arms. "And…you all saved her?"

"She's more of a victim than most of the people you've treated." Emily defended Mackenzie as she stood. She locked eyes with the doctor, blue meeting brown, and waited for her to relent.

"Of course, I didn't mean to judge." Monroe shook her hands in front of her and sighed. "Well I've given Agent Jareau here some steroids to help get her system up and running again. She should be awake soon."

"Thank you." Emily pulled out her cell phone, ready to call Hotch until she remembered what had transpired between the two and texted Rossi instead.

_JJ's waking up. Let me know when you're coming. _

_EP_

"Just push that button if she needs anything." Monroe smiled softly before exiting, closing the door behind her. Emily saw the blue sleeve of a cop's uniform by the door and deduced that Aaron had indeed contacted the local police department. He wasn't taking any chances with a man like Hail two floors up and Emily was glad for their boss' vigilance. _Her boss._ Was that what it came back to? The fact that _Aaron_ was actually _Hotch_ would continue to haunt their 'relationship' until one of them brought it up. Emily struggled with the word, unsure of whether or not it could even be called that. _We kissed, so what?_ She thought to herself. _Several times. Vigorously. While I was straddling his lap. _Emily shook the memory from her mind, locking it away in a compartment where she could handle it better at another time. She placed her head in her hands and leaned against JJ's bed as she rubbed her temples. Trying to reduce the blood flow to her cheeks at the mere thought of kissing Aaron Hotchner, Emily wasn't aware of JJ's slowly opening eyelids until her hand gripped the sheets besides Emily's elbow and she felt the slight tug.

"Hey." The brunette grasped the smaller woman's hand and squeezed as she watched her try to keep her eyelids open. "How're you feeling?"

"Like," JJ's voice came out raspy and she took a deep, painful breath before continuing. "I got shot." Emily chuckled.

"Dr. Monroe told us that you have 6 broken ribs and 2 of them almost punctured your lung." Emily explained as the blonde shifted uncomfortably.

"That's…phenomenal news." JJ winced as she tried to sit up. Emily leaned forward, gently took the woman's shoulder and helped her into a sitting position. "How's Mackenzie?"

"Still in surgery." Emily sighed. "You haven't been out that long though."

"Everyone else?"

"Hotch sent them to the hotel to clean up. I texted Rossi when Monroe told me she'd given you something to wake up." Emily caught the slight look of confusion on the woman's face.

"You texted _Rossi?_" JJ tried to cross her arms and failed. "And _Hotch_ sent them? What happened?"

"What do you mean?" Emily feigned her own confusion which only caused the woman to frown.

"I may be drugged up but that doesn't mean I'm blind." JJ quipped and Emily sighed in resignation. "Em, it's me."

"I know, it's just…he's just a little upset." Emily rested back in her seat.

"Define upset." JJ tried not to frown. It felt like minutes ago when she'd been thinking how happy she was for her friends and how she couldn't wait to tell Garcia all about catching their first kiss.

"Well, you know how Morgan and I-"

"Stop right there." JJ held up a hand and sighed, only to press that hand against her chest a second later. "We all know about your _flirtationship_ with Morgan. And by 'all' I mean people in Count-T have asked me about the two of you."

"Wha-" JJ held up a hand and stopped the sentence midway.

"Em, you know how _Aaron_ is. He's protective, almost as stubborn as you and probably easier to anger."

"I know that I just-"

"Then you know what _not_ to do. It's obviously going to take some getting used to seeing as you and Morgan go at each other all the time but you're going to have to watch what you say around _both_ of them." Emily sighed.

"You're right. I tried to apologize."

"Just give him some time." JJ reached out and patted Emily's arm. "Something this trivial isn't going to stop…whatever it is the two of you have going on." Emily blushed and cleared her throat as her phone buzzed in her pocket.

_oksy, we ar comnG inn0w._

"What the…" Emily handed the phone over to JJ, her lips tucked in in an attempt to hold back laughter.

"This is what happens when you text Rossi." The blonde wrapped an arm around herself and shook with restraint. When the door behind them opened, the women were still in a fit of unstoppable giggles.

"That's a sound I haven't heard in a while." Rossi's voice drew their attention and the laughing suddenly increased until the sound that left JJ sounded more like a cough than a laugh. Emily placed her hand on the woman's back to steady her. JJ lifted her own in an attempt to wave the brunette away.

"M'fine." She coughed out. "Needed that." She smiled at her friend who sighed in relief and returned the gesture.

"We both did." Emily agreed.

"So what was so funny?" Morgan asked. Both women shrugged instead of responding. Just then, a knock came at the door and every agent's hand went to their hip out of instinct. Hotch opened it and let a 2 men in doctor's scrubs in.

"Hello Agents, I'm Dr. Ashford and this is Dr. Figueroa." The older, dark haired man said as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"How's Mackenzie?" Emily crossed her arms in anticipation as he eyes danced between the two men. Figueroa, a tanned, blondish man, stepped forward.

"Do you mean 'Jane Doe'?" he asked, puzzled. Emily nodded eagerly, fully aware of the fact that no one in the room knew the girl's real name.

"She's stable." The younger man nodded and fumbled with the bottom of his shirt.

"Doctor?" Hotch raised an eyebrow in question, urging him to continue. The blond man sighed before resuming.

"The bullet did a lot of damage." He summed up.

"And?" Emily took a step closer, ready to pummel the man for answers.

"The bullet ricocheted off her ribs, hitting her liver, right lung, and lodging itself less than an inch from her aorta." Emily listened cautiously, waiting for the worst part. "We were able to repair the tears in her liver and lung which was a miracle in it of itself." A stern look from the elder doctor caused Figueroa's cheeks to brighten.

"And her heart?" Rossi asked, concern easing into his features.

"Only time will tell." Was Figueroa's reply.

"What do you mean?" JJ sat up straighter in bed, her own expression rapidly changing.

"Surgeries as risky as these are never predictable." The blond man said with a roll of his wrist. "She could wake up in an hour and be perfectly okay."

"Or…"Morgan glared at the man, knowing exactly the kind of answer they'd receive.

"She could become exhausted from lifting her head. She could have brain damage. She could never actually wake up. The truth is; the possible outcomes to this are- at the moment- up in the air." Figueroa sighed. "A single day- a single moment could tip the scales in her favor."

"Or against her." Reid slumped in a chair, a frown on his face as he ran through the statistics in his head.

"And Hail?" JJ's small voice asked from behind the group. Everyone turned to look at her, expressions varying from confusing to annoyance.

"Mr. Hail's been out of surgery for about an hour." Ashford stepped forward and announced.

"He's alive?" Morgan frowned in disapproval. Ashford took in his sour expression and returned it.

"I'm sorry if that's not the news you were hoping for Agent." The elder man crossed his arms across his chest.

"You'll forgive us if we don't particularly care about the man who put two of our own in the hospital in addition to being responsible for several unsolved murders." Rossi defended.

"I wasn't aware that the FBI had a policy for _not_ doing their jobs." Ashford shifted his stance.

"Oh no Doctor, we did our jobs perfectly." Emily sneered. "Why else do you think he's here?"

"Fidelity, bravery and integrity indeed." Ashford mumbled as he pretended to look over Hail's chart. Just as Morgan moved to take a step towards the man, Hotch's arm darted out and stopped him.

"We're a little pressed for time here Doctor, so if you wouldn't mind telling us exactly _how_ Adrian Hail survived." The unit chief left no room for debate and Ashford cleared his throat.

"The first bullet went through his left shoulder and broke his collarbone before stopping at the base of his neck. The second- the one that went through your Jane Doe- did a lot more." He cleared his throat before continuing. "After it exited her chest cavity, it entered Mr. Hail's ribcage where it slid in between them and punctured his right lung. The damage caused by the extensive bleeding forced his kidneys to shut down simultaneously along with breaking off into over a dozen pieces and damaging the lining of his stomach. Coupling that with the fact that it lodged at the base of his spine, I do believe that you will all get your wish soon enough."

"So he…might not make it?" Emily asked timidly, earning herself a signature glare from the man in white.

"Yes Agent, there is a chance that Mr. Hail might not survive the night." Ashford raised a finger. "But rest assured, the nursing staff and I will try our _best_ to make sure that doesn't happen. Now, I must go finish my rounds." The man left in a hurry and disappeared down the hallway.

"Well…this sucks." Rossi groaned.

"Good guys: 0 Bad guys: 4." Morgan mumbled in frustration.

"Four?" Emily turned to him and the man nodded in return.

"You, JJ, Mackenzie and the fact that the son of a bitch might actually walk out of here." Morgan counted off their 'losses' on his fingers.

"JJ's perfectly fine!" the blonde sang from beneath her sheets.

"Not if she keeps referring to herself in the third person, she's isn't." Emily sang back, causing a few laughs.

"If you all don't mind," Figueroa spoke up. "I should be getting back."

"When can we see her?" Emily called after the man, who immediately turned his attention to her.

"She needs time to rest. I'll come get you as soon as I can." He promised her with a soft smile. She returned it slowly, if not a little shyly. The man's blue eyes danced with amusement.

"Thank you Doctor." Emily began to shake the man's hand.

"Please, call me Jason." He showed off his perfectly white teeth while using his thumb to caress her hand. Noticeably uncomfortable, Emily pulled back in and everyone watched the man leave in silence.

"As entertaining as this is…" JJ's voice once again demanded their attention. "Can we leave now?" Her loud groan was drowned out by the collective '_no!_' they all voiced.

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**Not the most action-packed but seeing as they're in a hospital, I think that's appropriate. Let me know what you want to see as we wind down to the end!**


	34. Chapter 34

**If I don't get some MAJOR love for this chapter, I give up. Enjoy my loves!**

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**Chapter XXXIV**

"Stop fidgeting!" Emily smacked her friend's thigh as the blonde struggled to get comfortable.

"I can't." JJ sighed and placed a hand to her chest. "This is the most annoying pain I've ever had."

"Well next time don't get shot." Emily grumbled as she passed the woman a cup of water. JJ took small sips, wincing every so often, before handing the cup back to her. "You're lucky they didn't have to operate."

"Despite contrary belief, I didn't _ask_ to get shot." The smaller woman quipped back, an eyebrow raised in challenge. Emily chuckled softly before returning to the solemn expression she'd been sporting since the team had dispersed. "Stop worrying."

"I can't." Emily admitted without looking up. JJ sighed, a question coming to mind as she stared at her friend.

"Em, I've never seen you like this before." She began quietly.

"Like what?" The brunette glanced forward and met the blue eyes before her.

"So affected by a case." JJ worded the sentence carefully. "I mean, we've seen worse."

"I know but this is so…real to me." Emily crossed her arms. JJ offered the woman a small smile, knowing that it would do nothing to comfort her. She placed her small hand over her friend's and squeezed. Without looking, Emily returned the gesture. "Besides the fact that we know nothing about her past, all I see in her is me. It's…strange."

"I understand." JJ nodded in agreement. "You do have a lot of similar qualities."

"Oh really? Like what?" Emily challenged with a smirk.

"Your taste in men." The blonde stifled a chuckle as Emily's mouth dropped.

"I hope this isn't something I don't want to hear." A deep voice sounded from the far corner of the room. The women turned and met the ever-so-pleasant face of Aaron Hotchner. JJ chuckled and gestured for him to enter while Emily seemed to have developed a new interest in the counting the tiles on the floor.

"Don't worry Hotch, you're safe." The blonde smiled and waited for one of the dark haired pair to speak. When Hotch simply sat himself on the opposite side of her bed, she frowned. _Fine, I'll fix it for you._ "Em, could you please get Dr. Monroe? I have a few questions for her."

"Sure." Emily bolted out the door faster than a rabbit out of a trap. JJ waited for the door to close completely before rounding on her boss whose mouth was already in the middle of forming a sentence.

"Don't even." She raised a hand for silence. His mouth shut instantly. "I cannot _believe_ the two of you. It's been what, a week? You've already found a way to be at each other's throats."

"We are _not_ at each other's throats." Hotch frowned. "I just don't appreciate-"

"I know what you're going to say Hotch and please don't. Have you even _been here_ for the past eight years?" JJ motioned around the room for emphasis. "This _thing_ between the two of you only just developed. You can't expect these 'habits' of hers to die that quickly."

"I know I just-"

"I know you're used to being in charge and in control of everything, but you need to fix this before you lose her for good." JJ crossed her arms across her chest and sighed. "We both know how she is. One bump and she'll think it's her fault and jump ship. Please, you two are finally happy. Don't let something so mundane ruin it." Hotch sat in silence for a moment or two, taking in the fact that it was _JJ_ setting _him_ straight.

"You're right." He could barely be heard over the sound of the chair scratching against the tile flooring as he sped after the brunette. JJ leaned her head back and sank into the pillows with a sigh of relief. She wanted nothing more than everything to go back to normal and for her two best friends to set things right. Everything could be perfect if only time could stop getting in their way. With that thought, she closed her eyes and let sleep take her once more.

"Emily." The brunette turned suddenly and nearly ran into the tall, dark man of her dreams. The only problem was that now, thoughts of him invaded her nightmares as well.

"Hotch." She greeted and moved to slide past him. A gentle grip on her wrist tugged her back, slightly closer than she had been before.

"I'd like to speak with you." he formed it as a question, his tone so calming and vulnerable she knew she could never refuse. With a nod, she felt herself being led towards an empty on-call room and waited for Hotch to close the door behind them. She stood, back straight and chest out- mainly because if she didn't, he would see just how hard she was breathing.

"I'm sorry." Both voices spoke simultaneously. They each averted their gazes and bit their lips to keep from smiling.

"You first." Emily nudged her shoulder in his direction.

"I'm sorry I got so jealous. It wasn't like me." He admitted. "I don't want you under the impression that I would get jealous if you had male friends. I understand that your relationship with Morgan has been like this for years and I wouldn't want to get in the way of your friendship."

"Aaron, Morgan _is_ my friend and he always will be." Emily began. "But he was never you. I-I could never feel this way about anyone else but you and I need you to know that."

"I do Emily."

"I promise to change the way I speak to him and I'm sure he will agree." Emily's breathing constricted as she realized just how close Aaron had gotten. The scent of him invaded her nostrils and acted as a drug to her brain. "I-uh, I don't want to well, I don't want you to think that-"

"Emily?" his voice sent shivers down her spine. Slowly, he reached out and tugged at her hand until it was secured in his. Their fingers toyed with one another as their eyes met once more.

"Hm?" she found that she couldn't look away from the man's gaze as his golden eyes melted her from the inside out. She could feel his pulse quicken beneath her fingertips and the thought that she could do that excited her beyond words.

"Remember when I told you that you talk too much?" Hotch's left hand moved upwards and pushed a strand of fallen hair out of her face. It felt like forever since they had touched and he found that his entire body shook.

"Mhm." She blinked several times, giving him a reason to admire every part of her down to her eyelashes for just a second longer.

"Nothing's changed." Just as his sentence finished, Hotch leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against hers. It took every fiber of his being not to push her against the wall and show her exactly how much he wanted her. Instead, he waited for her to respond. His lips slowly left hers and he watched as her eyes fluttered open. His hand now against the small of her back, desperately wanting to press her to him, wove tiny circles on her shirt. She trembled in his grasp and leaned slightly forward. Opening her mouth slightly, it looked as if she were drowning and desperately needed air- air that only his lips could give. He waited until he felt the slightest brush of her perfect lips against his before pursuing further. Hotch tightened his hold on her hand and finally pulled her flush against him with one fluid motion. She gasped against his mouth as he crashed his lips against hers once more. This time, Emily refused to let up. She released his hand and brought hers up to the back of his head where she wrapped her delicate fingers in his hair. She scratched his scalp and opened her mouth slightly, granting him entrance. Immediately, she felt his hot tongue press against hers and couldn't help the delighted sigh that escaped her lips. He responded in kind, leading her backwards and further away from the door. Finally finding the wall he, somewhat roughly, forced her against it. Moaning against his lips again and giving him confirmation that she did indeed enjoy what he was doing, Emily continued to massage his scalp and lifted a leg against him. She ran it along the side of him and heard him groan against her before his large hand took hold of it, gluing it to his side. He pressed himself harder against her, colliding their centers and eliciting a loud moan from both mouths before claiming the inviting flesh of her neck. He kissed her from jaw to collarbone before giving into her silent pleas and darting his tongue out. The taste of her skin sent fire coursing through him and only served to intensify his rabid hunger for her. Emily continued to moan softly against his ear every time his mouth found a particularly sensitive spot. Her raised leg had found its way around his waist and now held him against her core. Every so often she would raise her hips, allowing them both equal amounts of pleasure. Before she knew it, Hotch's hands were at the hem of her shirt, playing with it as if asking for permission. She took his hands in hers and worked them upwards, slowly revealing the porcelain skin underneath. Hotch's breath caught in his throat, his reaction evident between their legs, as a black laced bra appeared. Tossing the dark blouse across the room, Hotch couldn't help but gawk at the sight. The sound of Emily's chuckle brought him back. Wordlessly and with a smile, Hotch resumed his lavishing of her neck, this time travelling further south than before. His hand slipped underneath a strap and massaged the untouched area. Slowly repeating the process on the other side, he took in Emily's reaction. Her chest heaved in anticipation of his touch and her mouth seemed to have been permanently left open. He smiled against her skin as his hand delved beneath her bra and felt her for the first time. Both gasped at the sensation and Emily couldn't help but grind her body against his. Her hands- not at all idle- had already unbuttoned his shirt and were now exploring his torso as he did hers. Between pants, she caressed every scar on his body as he helped her shed the offending article. Her nail slowly racked across his back the moment bare flesh appeared.

"Mm, Emily." He moaned and shivered but never ceased his advances on her skin. With expert fingers, she buckled his pants and reached inside, seizing him firmly and watched as he struggled to compose him. She smiled against his neck and began to stroke him slowly, her tongue occasionally darting out to connect with his salty pulse point. Abandoning all efforts on her chest, Hotch moved agonizingly slowly towards her own object of desire. The slower he went, the less adamant she was about pleasing him. Taking the hint, Hotch sped up the process and smoothly unbuckled her pants. He placed his burning hand against her equally hot stomach and inched further south. She squirmed against him, an aggravated noise leaving her lips. His fingers reached her underwear, finding it just as flimsy as her bra, and wove beneath it. The second his fingers made contact with her, the movements of her hand multiplied tenfold until both were panting heavily. Seconds later, Emily's other leg had made its way around Hotch's waist, pulling the two even closer together. Their unused hands reached for one another in a desperate attempt to bring their bodies closer. Emily pressed Hotch's head against her chest- a place he was more than content in being- and he latched onto her hips, pulsating with the rhythm his fingers had set. Before long, the pants and gasps turned into outright cries as both were thrown into a release they didn't even know was possible. Hotch groaned against her chest and felt the control slip between his fingers- or preferably, Emily's fingers- as every worry in the world seemed to be lifted from his shoulders. Emily continued to pump as she felt him twitch beneath her fingers until her own ecstasy overtook her. When it did, Hotch's fingers increased their speed automatically. Both legs wrapped around him, the only thing keeping her standing was his almost naked body against hers as she trembled with the force of her release. Biting his shoulder to keep from screaming, Emily felt her eyes roll and her every muscle strain in glorious protest. Hotch held her against him as he continued to force every ounce of pleasure out of her and when she finally stopped shaking, set her down gently before lying beside her. Both sweating, panting and barely clothed, the couple began to laugh together at their actions. Hotch turned his head and saw Emily's eyes closed, her lips curved in a devilish grin. He scooted closer to her and pressed a chaste kiss against her surprised lips. She returned it warmly before rolling into his bare arms and swinging her leg on top of his.

"We're going to be alright." His promise vibrated from her head on his chest and struck her very soul.

"Yes." She sighed contently against him. "We definitely are."

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**This is the farthest I've ever written so please feel free to tell me your exact thoughts on the content! **


	35. Chapter 35

**Sorry for the wait, hope it's worth it!**

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**Chapter XXXV**

"Agent Jareau?" A voice penetrated her subconscious. JJ winced at the sound and continued to ignore it. "JJ?" The blonde shifted and hissed in pain before forcing her eyes to open. Dr. Monroe's bright eyes stared down at her as she waited for her patient to recover.

"I'm awake." JJ groaned and tried to sit up straight before giving up the notion.

"I'm sorry to wake you but I couldn't find the rest of your team." Monroe told her.

"Is everything alright?" JJ frowned in confusion at the doctor's wide eyed gaze.

"Doctor Figueroa asked me to inform you that Adrian Hail is awake." Monroe's look betrayed the aura of power she gave off. She was afraid of him and rightfully so.

"Could you pass me my cell phone? I'll get the team back here." JJ waited as the woman riffled through the plastic bag that contained her personal items. She took the device from her hand and prepared to send out a group text.

"He asked for Agent Prentiss." Monroe added quickly. "Figueroa said he isn't sure whether or not he'll make it." JJ nodded her understanding before returning to the phone.

_Hail's awake & asking for Emily. Where are you guys?_

_JJ_

"Thank you for letting me know." A thought struck her. "Have you by any chance seen Agents Prentiss or Hotchner?"

"Last time I saw them was about an hour ago." Monroe hinted at a smile. "They went into an on-call room."

"Ah." JJ shook her head with grin. "About time." Monroe laughed wholeheartedly before handing her a stack of papers.

"Your release papers; Merry Christmas." JJ beamed at the woman and signed them in a hurry before giving them back. Monroe helped her ease out of bed and hobble over to the bathroom to change into her clothes. Waiting outside the bathroom door just in case, she saw Agents Morgan, Rossi and Reid make their way down the hall.

"Good afternoon Doctor." The elder man, Rossi, greeted. "I take it she's already signed the release papers?"

"Faster than I've seen in a while." Monroe offered the man a smile.

"Have you seen Agents Prentiss or Hotchner?" Reid inquired and Monroe did everything she could not to blush.

"Present." Emily's voice called from behind the group. They turned and found her hand-in-hand with Hotch. "JJ changing?"

"Almost done." They heard the blonde call from behind the door. The team made themselves comfortable around the room as they waited for their final member to join them. Minutes later, JJ emerged in the clothes she had been wearing the day of the raid.

"I'll give you all some time to talk." The blonde doctor smiled warmly at the group before leaving. JJ positioned herself gently in a chair, leaving the bed free for Emily and Hotch to sit on side by side. She shot her friend a look telling her that the events of the previous hour were written all over the woman's face. Emily blushed involuntarily and Hotch seemed to be holding back a smile.

"You said Hail wants to see me?" Emily asked the smaller woman and JJ nodded in return.

"There's no way in hell-"

"Morgan, it's alright." Emily raised a hand. "He can't hurt anyone where he is now."

"That doesn't mean we're going to let you-"

"You don't have to _let me_ do anything." Emily crossed her arms and frowned slightly.

"I think we should discuss _why_ Hail is so interested in seeing you." Hotch interrupted the would-be argument.

"She might have established a rapport with him." Reid pointed out. "Despite the fact that things didn't end the way he planned, what you said to him seemed to trigger something."

"Something like what?" Morgan asked.

"Maybe he finally got some feelings." Emily mumbled.

"That's not possible." Reid said matter-of-factly. "He's a sociopath with-"

"I was kidding Reid." Emily smirked at the younger agent who nodded in understanding.

"Well we have to find out." JJ stated. "What if he wants to confess to more murders before he goes?"

"Goes?" Emily raised an eyebrow.

"It's kind of a coin toss between prison and hell at the moment." The blonde explained and a few broke into amused grins. Everyone agreed and asked directions to Hail's room on the fourth floor. Two police officers were posted outside and after flashing their credentials, the team entered the dark room. The beeping of a heart monitor was the only sound and the room smelled like a mixture of blood and antiseptic. Emily in front, the team took in the sight of a defeated Hail and couldn't help but feel accomplished. His head turned away from them and gazed out the partially covered window into the night sky. The rest of the team stayed back as Emily made her way towards the side of the bed, her arms crossed in front of her. He didn't seem to notice their entrance and continued to stare out the window.

"Hail." Emily called to him. She debated whether or not she should whisper but decided against anything that made him comfortable. The man made a sound in the back of his throat before slowly turning his head like a confused zombie. Emily ignored the multitude of wires that ran around the man and instead focused on his nearly yellow face. His once sparkling golden eyes had hollowed, leaving them an almost black abyss that she was reluctant to look into for too long lest she fall in. Hail's wrist moved, making him aware of the handcuff around it, as he tried to get her to come closer. Emily took a single step and noticed the team behind her stiffen. She looked over her shoulder and offered them a small, reassuring smile.

"You came." Hail's raspy, strained voice said. Turning her attention back to him, Emily crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. His deteriorating state did not soften her approach.

"What do you want?" she asked authoritatively. Hail's lips curved into a rather sickening smile as he tried to sit up straighter.

"Pass me the water?" he asked tentatively and raised his arm slightly to point behind her. She rolled her eyes but did as he asked, placing a single cube in the man's bony hand. He was evil, yes, but the one thing Emily wasn't was cruel. She waited as Hail worked on melting the cube in his mouth before asking again.

"You didn't ask me here to play nurse." Emily told him. "Tell me what you want so we can leave."

"Didn't realize you brought the whole gang." Hail struggled to look around her and gaze at the team. "You're all so stealthy."

"I'm not going to ask you again." Emily was eager to see Mackenzie and didn't want to waste any more time than necessary on the man.

"Agent Jareau, are you feeling any better? I doubt poor Alek is." Hail ignored her and latched gazes with JJ who wisely bit her tongue.

"Goodbye Hail." Emily spun on her heel and rapidly made her way to the exit. The team parted, allowing her room to pass, before they heard,

"Did she cry?" Emily stopped, one foot in midair, and waited. "Right before she died, did she cry?" Her fists clenched at her sides, the team stiffening as they heard their audible crack. Emily spun on her heel and glared at the man. She half expected someone to stand in her way and hold her back as she took three purposeful strides towards him. No one did. Knuckles white, Emily approached the bed, noticing a twisted smile on the man's face. It took every ounce of self-control she had not to pull out of her gun and save the hospital the time and money it took to keep him alive. "I bet she did."

"You want to know a secret Adrian?" Emily's voice remained deadly calm as she slowly relaxed her muscles.

"Of course Emily."

"I'm glad you're dying." She admitted quietly. Though she knew that the BAU felt the same, anyone in their position caught saying something like that could easily find themselves without a job. Hail chuckled once more before a cough forced him to stop. His body shook with the force and Emily could see him wince. _Good._

"Oh Emily," he shook his head slowly. "That's no secret. But that's also not the reason I asked you here."

"Then what is?" Emily shifted her stance and crossed her arms.

"What you said about me; is it true?" his gaze wavered and Emily could sense genuine curiosity in his question.

"About you not being able to love?" Hail nodded. "Yes, it's true."

"Why?"

"How should I know?"

"Isn't that your _job_?" Hail spat in her direction.

"My job is to _catch_ people like you." Emily emphasized. "Not help them."

"So you think…you think that someone could help me?" Hail's voice was meek, almost sad, as he stared at the ground and played with his bed sheets.

"No Adrian, you're beyond help." Emily told him the truth. "There's no _cure_ for what you are."

"That's bullshit!" Hail shouted, nearly leaping out of his bed. Emily jumped backwards, admittedly startled by his sudden reaction. His wrists strained against the metal of cuffs and his injuries preventing him from actually getting to her but he continued to try. "You tell me how to fix it and you tell me _right now!_" It was Emily's turn to laugh.

"I don't think you understand the situation." She motioned to the room. "_You're_ the one lying in a hospital bed. _You're _the one on the verge of death and _you're_ the one who-in the event you do survive- is going to prison for the rest of his life." She pointed a finger in his face and leaned in close. "You won't be telling anyone what to do for a long, _long_ time."

"You think you can _cage me?!_" Hail shook with the force of his rage, his heart rate going mad as he struggled to breathe. "You all think I'll just lie down and let you destroy everything I've worked for?!"

"You're delusional and psychopathic and the world will be better off without you in it." Emily narrowed her gaze. Hail's features softened slightly.

"You're right, I can't love and you want to know why?" He forced himself to sit straighter, bringing his face inches from Emily's. She didn't flinch but she also failed to notice how Hotch had taken multiple steps forward and was only stopped by Rossi grabbing his arm. "Because every time I hit her, I liked it. Every time she cried or screamed or _bled_ because of me, _I liked it_!" Emily saw the madness dancing in his eyes and was momentarily frightened by the intensity of his words.

"Well I'm sorry to inform you that that won't be happening again anytime soon." Emily practically snarled at the man who simply continued to show his teeth.

"Oh that's right," Hail lolled his head. "Because the bitch is _dead_. It's funny, you know. _I_ wanted to be the one to kill her; to feel her pulse weaken with my bare hands, but your man did it for me." He laughed manically. "I've had cops do my dirty work in the past, but this one did what I wanted without getting paid. Isn't that just…peachy?"

"Want to know what's _peachy_?" Emily raised an eyebrow. "In a few weeks, you'll be sentenced to either life in prison or death and I'm going to be there for it. I'll be the first one in the court room and the last one to leave but know one thing Hail: when the time comes for them to put that needle in your arm, _no one_ will be there for you. You'll die alone just like you lived alone and no one will even blink. That's a promise." Emily's words seemed to have rattled Hail to the core. He gazed up at her, mouth agape, as the truth of her words began to sink in. She straightened and turned to leave, waiting for Hail to retaliate. She wasn't disappointed.

"You don't know anything." Hail shook his head in disbelief. "I'll be out in no time, you'll see!" His voice gradually rose as Emily neared the door. "You all better watch your backs because I swear to God, I'll make every single one of you suffer for putting me in here! _Do you hear me?! _You'll join that slut Mackenzie in the bloodiest way possible, _I swear to God!"_

"God doesn't give two shits about you Hail." Emily informed him without even turning around. "Oh and by the way, I'll make sure to give Mackenzie your 'get well' card." The sounds of Hail's certifiable screaming were drowned out by the onslaught of nurses that flooded his room as the BAU quietly made their exit.

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**Is Hail evil enough or should I crank it up a little? Hmm...**


	36. Chapter 36

**A bit short but I believe you'll enjoy the gift at the end! (:**

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**Chapter XXXVI**

"Em, please sit down. You're making us dizzy." JJ gestured to the seat beside her. The brunette turned and stopped picking at her nails long enough to do as she asked.

"Sorry." She mumbled. "I just want to know what is taking so long."

"I'm sure everything's fine." Rossi placed a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder and squeezed. She smiled in return. Hotch's hand made its way to hers and took it in its grasp. Entwining their fingers, the couple shared a concerned look for the girl a few doors away. Just as Aaron sensed Emily's muscles relax, a familiar figure made his way into the waiting room. The moment Doctor Figueroa entered the room, Hotch felt his blood pressure rise. The young doctor made his way to the group and Emily was no sooner brought out of her seat than the time it took to get her into it.

"Agents I-"

"How is she?" Emily interrupted before the doctor had a chance to breathe. Figueroa smiled warmly and raised his hand.

"Fine, our Jane Doe is doing quite fine." Emily exhaled the weight of the world off her shoulders along with the rest of the BAU. "I gave her something to wake her up so we can see how she's-"

"What room?" Hotch asked, knowing that Emily would've interrupted the doctor once more.

"398." Figueroa pointed to the hallway behind the group and smiled to himself as he watched them practically sprint towards their destination. 

They stood at the door to Room 398 for several minutes before Emily reached out a hand and turned the knob. The room that greeted them was nothing like the one they had just left. Although the shades were drawn so as not to blind Mackenzie, the room lacked the nasty smell of the previous one. There were-thankfully- less wires and machines around the girl and even a bouquet of flowers on the nightstand; orchids. The patient herself did not, however, look as well kept as the room. Mackenzie's normally pale skin had gone down two or three shades, leaving her ready to compete against a piece of paper. Her breathing was slightly labored causing her chest to rise and fall more rapidly than it should and Emily could hear the faint sound of hyperventilating. The bullet must have nicked a lung as well as the other organs, she thought. Blankets were piled on top of the girl and made her look impossibly smaller than usual. The only comforting thing was the steady beeping of her heart monitor. Emily glanced at the faces of her team, questioning them in silence. Each one of them gave her a look that said '_go'_ and she had no choice but to comply. She took a step towards the bed and couldn't help but think that Mackenzie might not _want_ to see her. This was, after all, _her _fault. If Emily had done her job, then Mackenzie would've been in a safe house protected by three federal agents at all times. She swallowed hard and dragged a chair over to the girl's side. Wincing at the sound it made as she moved it across the room, Emily sat and waited for her to wake up. From the corner of her eye she saw JJ ushering the rest of the team out and shot the woman an appreciative glace. For the next half hour, Emily remained perfectly still as she watched the ragged rise and fall of Mackenzie's chest and patiently waited for her to awaken. She didn't know when but sometime during the course of her visit, Emily had placed her hand on top of Mackenzie's. She wanted her to know that she could wake up; that nothing sinister was waiting for her on the side of consciousness. Just as she was about to lean back and close her eyes, Emily felt the slightest tug against her hand. She leaned forward and noticed the tiniest change in Mackenzie's breathing.

"Mackenzie?" she whispered softly, afraid of startling the girl. "It's-it's Emily. You're safe now." Mackenzie's hand moved and wrapped itself around one of Emily's fingers. The girl squeezed faintly as she tried to inhale a deep breath. Regretting it immediately, she resorted to a frown, confused as to why she was in pain. Emily continued to coo the girl until her lips parted slightly and soft groan escaped and her head lolled to the side. "Come on, open your eyes. Everything is alright, I promise."

"Em'ly?" Mackenzie's raspy voice called as she started to awaken fully.

"Yea, it's me. Just open your eyes." Emily took her hand firmly and held onto it for dear life. Tears stung at her eyes but she didn't bother to swipe them away. Her other hand was too busy smoothing the hair away from Mackenzie's eyes. Before she knew it, those eyes fluttered and opened into slights. "There you go."

"Where-"

"You're in a hospital." Emily explained softly as she continued to caress the girl's face. Mackenzie blinked slowly as if trying to comprehend the information. "Everything's alright though. You're alright."

"Him?" the girl asked; her washed out green eyes staring straight into Emily. The older woman swallowed hard.

"You don't have to worry about him. He can't hurt anyone anymore." She wasn't sure whether or not to tell her that Hail was in fact, still alive. This way, Mackenzie at least knew she wasn't lying. Taking the news for face value, Mackenzie seemed to deflate and finally relax against the mattress. "Just rest now okay? We can talk later."

"Mhm." Mackenzie agreed as a soft smile spread on her lips. Emily smiled back as several tears dropped onto the sheets. "Em'ly?"

"Sleep now Mackenzie. I'll be here when you wake up." Emily promised herself but Mackenzie seemed to have more to say. Emily leaned closer and waited as she licked her lips and tried desperately to keep her eyes open for a second long.

"Ana." She breathed. "My name…is Ana Valerious."

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**For those of you who caught me: yes, I did steal the name from the movie ****_Van Helsing_**** with Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale. I'm sorry, who ****_doesn't_**** want to be Kate Beckinsale? Exactly, no one :P **


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter XXXVII**

JJ almost didn't feel the slight vibration that came from her back pocket. They were all too concentrated on waiting for the door to reopen. Almost robotically, she pulled out her cell phone and half-heartedly read the message.

"Guys." She drew their attention quickly as she finished reading the message from Emily. "We have her name."

"What?" Morgan asked, slightly shocked at the randomness of the information.

"Mackenzie's name." JJ explained. "She woke up long enough to tell Emily."

"Well what-"

"Excuse me?" a deep, accented voice demanded their attention. They turned to see a tall, well-dressed man in his forties making his way towards them. An equally well-dressed woman trailed behind them with a younger girl in tow. Both looked as if they'd been crying. "Are you the FBI?"

"Yes, can we help you?" Hotch stepped forward and asked the man. The two were practically the same height, both with dark hair and a gloomy expression. The stranger's eyes were different though; they were a deep shade of emerald that Hotch was sure he had seen before.

"We were told to speak to you about our daughter?" The man's accent was strong, most likely Eastern European. Hotch frowned.

"Your daughter?" he asked. "I'm not sure how we can-"

"She is in this room, is she not? Ana?" At the sound of the name, JJ approached the man.

"Yes, your daughter is here and she's just fine. We have an agent in there with her right now." The woman behind him broke down in tears, collapsing to the ground and taking the younger girl with her. The girl placed her hand on the woman's back and tried to soothe her in a language neither JJ or Hotch could place.

"I want to see her." The man took a step forward. "I want to see her right now."

"Sir, I'm afraid she's resting now." JJ raised a hand defensively. "We'll come get you as soon as-"

"I was not asking your permission!" The man raised a large hand and shoved JJ to the side as he plowed his way towards the door. The blonde stumbled and fell over, cradling her side as she did, and Reid rushed to her aid. Morgan stepped in front of the man and placed a hand on his hip.

"Back off!" He yelled, one arm outstretched to keep the man at bay. Rossi and Hotch surrounded the man in an instant, ignoring the wails of the woman behind them.

"_Tată, nu! Te rog, doar să fie pacient! O putem vedea într-un pic._" A small voice cried from behind. They all turned to stare at the little girl, no older than 10.

"_Nu-mi va spune ce să faci Alexia! Eu sunt tatăl tău, acum fă ce ți se spune și să tacă!_" the man bellowed back but the girl refused to back down.

"Please, papa." The girl's large green eyes begged. "We'll wake her if we yell." The man's eyes softened slightly at the innocence of his daughter's plea.

"Take your mother to the waiting room. I'll be along shortly." His voice was low and sad and the girl did as she was told. As soon as the two were out of sight, the man turned to JJ and offered her his hand. She took it tentatively. "Forgive me _doamnă_. I did not mean to cause you harm."

"It's alright." JJ raised an eyebrow. "Seems like I've been spending the majority of my time on the floor anyway."

"My name is Michel Valerious." He said quietly. "I am sorry for the trouble. I just…when we heard what happened to Ana, I…"

"We understand." Rossi said calmly. The man nodded his appreciation. "How long has it been since you saw your daughter Mr. Valerious?"

"Three years." Michel lowered his head in embarrassment. "She was fourteen when she ran away from home."

"Fourteen?" Reid. "You're saying she's only seventeen years old?" Michel nodded.

"Sir, we only recently found out your daughter's name." Hotch explained. "Would it be alright if we sat down and talked about the events that led us here?"

"Will you tell me what happened to her?" he asked adamantly.

"If you'd like to hear, yes." Hotch quietly led the man down the hall and into an empty room, leaving the rest alone in the hallway.

"Are you alright?" Morgan turned to JJ who scoffed.

"Sick of people trying to fight me, that's for sure." She crossed her arms and hid a wince at the increased pressure. The men laughed.

"How about we see what Ana's mother has to say about all this?" Rossi led the group to the waiting room where Mrs. Valerious and her youngest daughter sat in silence.

"JJ, will you talk to the girl?" Morgan suggested. "Rossi can talk to the mother."

"Why me?" Rossi pouted.

"Because you're used to dealing with distraught women." Morgan quipped, causing the older man to smile.

"Ain't that the truth." He said before entering the room with JJ in tow.

"Mrs. Valerious?" JJ drew her attention. "We'd like to speak to you and your daughter about Ana. Is that alright?"

"Yes." The woman's accent was thicker than her husband's. Hopefully Rossi wouldn't have a problem with it. The older agent introduced himself and led the woman to another room. JJ took her place beside the girl.

"Hi. My name's Jennifer." She extended her hand. "What's yours?"

"Alexia." The small girl shook it shyly before returning to the task of picking at her dress. Her eyes, the same as her sisters and father's, were glued to the tiles on the floor.

"That's a very nice name." JJ commented with a smile.

"Momma likes names with As." Alexia informed her quietly, still refusing to meet her gaze. JJ chuckled softly.

"My mom does too." JJ said, only to receive a confused look from the girl.

"Jennifer doesn't start with an A." JJ laughed.

"That's right but my older sister's name is Andrea and my brother's name is Adam." She left out the nasty details.

"You have a big sister too?" Alexia looked amused and JJ nodded in return.

"Alexia," she leaned a little closer to the girl and watched as she played with her jet black braid. "I wanted to talk to you about what happened three years ago."

"When Ana got sad?" the little girl's eyes danced around the room- anywhere but JJ's gaze.

"Yea. Can you tell me what happened that made Ana sad?" JJ almost immediately regretted asking as the girl leapt out of her seat and ran across the room. Pressing her back against the wall, Alexia covered her ears and shook her head wildly.

"_No!_ I won't tell!" she screamed. "I won't tell, never, ever, ever!"

"Alexia, please." JJ approached cautiously. "It's okay, you don't have to tell me."

"Ana will get sad! I don't want her to leave again!" Alexia cried, tears streaming down her face as she continued to shake her head. JJ lurched forward and took the little girl's hands in hers. Her entire body was shaking with a fear JJ hadn't seen in years.

"It's alright, it's okay. We don't have to talk about it. Ana won't get sad." JJ cooed as the girl continued to wail. JJ's heart broke for her and she moved to wrap her arms around the girl's shoulders. Alexia fell into JJ's chest and continued to cry to the point of hysteria, staining the blonde's shirt with tears. JJ soothed the girl's hair and rocked her gently before picking her up. She was small for her age and JJ carried her effortlessly back to the table. She continued to rock her until the cries were almost nonexistent and Alexia slowly fell asleep in her arms. JJ saw the bewildered faces of Reid and Morgan as they watched through the glass door. Shaking her head, JJ wondered what this family had gone through that made speaking about it all but impossible.

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**So I believe we're almost done with our tale :( but I do have a question for you guys: do you want to see a trial (won't say whose) or would you rather just get the results of one? Please let me know ASAP!**


	38. Chapter 38

**Hola! Hope everyone's enjoying school- just kidding. Here's another chapter to keep you up and running :P **

* * *

**Chapter XXXVIII**

Alexia Valrious had an extremely tight grip. Her little fingers wound deeply into JJ's hair, passing the girl off to her mother was a task not easily accomplished. Instead of getting the haircut of the century, JJ held onto the girl as she slept under the keen eye of Mrs. Sophie Valerious who looked like she needed a hug of her own. Readjusting little Alexia on her hip, JJ turned to the woman and took in her pained expression. She couldn't image not seeing Henry for three years and then finding him in a hospital. The thought alone made her heart drop to her stomach.

"Can I get you anything?" She whispered causing Sophie to nearly jump out of her skin. The woman shook her hands vigorously.

"No, no thank you." Her accent was strong and JJ found herself actually wondering if she could carry out a full conversation with the woman.

"How old is she?" JJ glanced at her arms at the sleeping child and smiled. Sophie returned it warmly.

"Almost eight. Her birthday is in February." JJ nodded her understanding. "Do you have children?"

"Yes, a son. He's almost five." Sophie nodded.

"Is it…difficult," she seemed to have trouble finding the right words. "Being away for so long?"

"Yes, very." JJ admitted. "But it also makes the time I do get to spend with him all that more special."

"Ah, yes." Sophie smiled, her dark eyes lightening up for the first time.

"Mrs. Valerious-"

"Sophie, please."

"Sophie," JJ corrected herself. "I wanted to ask you something. When I asked Alexia about why Ana left, she went into a panic; screaming, crying, the works. What happened to cause such a drastic reaction?"

"It is a family matter." Sophie stated plainly, averting her gaze. JJ sighed.

"I know and I'm sorry that I have to ask but we do have a case to complete. It would be easier to do so with all the facts in place." JJ explained calmly.

"We made mistake, okay?" Sophie frowned as she stood. "It is no one's business but our own what happened to make Ana leave us."

"Sophie, I promise you; this information will only be-"

"I said no!" Alexia shifted in JJ's arms and mumbled incoherently. Sophie immediately strode over to the her, whispered something in their language in the girl's ear, and took her from JJ's arms before making a b-line for the doors. JJ, relieved at having rid the weight but still confused at the family's situation, could do nothing but watch them go.

Emily managed to sit cross-legged on one of the seats provided. She played a mundane game on her cell phone as she waited for Macken-no, Ana, to reawaken. Hotch had filled her in on the commotion outside. She was surprised at how quickly her family had arrived but was even more shocked to hear that Ana was only seventeen years old. She could definitely pass for twenty-one if she tried. Just as Emily began recalling all the times she herself had tried to pass for 21 at her age, she felt a slight tug at the bedding beneath her fingertips.

"A-Ana?" Emily whispered gently as she tested the name on her lips. She took hold of her twitching hand and watched her struggle to open her eyes once more. When she finally did, Emily could see a lot more life in them than before. She smiled brightly at the thought.

"Hi." Ana's voice came out raspy and she cleared her throat before Emily placed a small ice cube in her hand.

"Hi." Emily responded and waited for her to finish swallowing. "How are you feeling?"

"Like," Ana shifted uncomfortably. "I got shot." Emily chuckled at the response, remembering that those were JJ's exact words as well.

"Well I wonder why that is." Emily frowned in mock confusion causing a thin smile to appear on Ana's lips.

"How's Agent Jareau?" She asked as she recalled what had happened in the past few hours…or days.

"Better." Emily nodded.

"Between the three of us do you think we could even cross a street without ending up here?" Ana rolled her eyes as Emily laughed wholeheartedly.

"I'm not willing to find out." Ana nodded in agreement. "How are you feeling?"

"Alright, I guess." She shrugged and regretted it instantly. "As alright as one can be." She corrected.

"Doctor Figueroa said the surgery went well." Emily assured her. "You should be out of here within the next two weeks."

"Two weeks?" Ana chuckled to herself. "Yea, I don't think so."

"Ana, you have to stay until you're-"

"Could you stay in here for more than a day without losing your mind?" The girl raised an eyebrow in Emily's direction and the older woman could form no response. She saw a flash of something pass over Ana's eyes and frowned.

"What is it?" Emily asked as she leaned closer. Ana's eyes were downcast, her expression placid as something unpleasant crossed her mind.

"What…what's going to happen to me?" she asked without looking, reminding Emily of a lost puppy.

"What do you mean?" Emily's voice softened although she knew exactly what the girl was referring to.

"Don't you have to…arrest me or something?" her emerald orbs finally found Emily's and the agent saw a fear in them that did not fit the girl's normal expression.

"I don't know." Emily admitted. She did, in fact, have no idea what protocol demanded in a situation like this one. Perhaps she could have Aaron find out before Ana left the hospital. "There is something I should tell you though."

"He's alive, isn't he?" Ana looked straight ahead as she asked and Emily nodded in silence. "Where?"

"Two floors up. Don't worry, he'll never get near you again." Emily promised but didn't seem to convince her at all. "That actually wasn't what I wanted to tell you."

"What else?" Ana seemed to slump backwards, already exhausted from being awake for more than 10 minutes. She closed her weary eyes and pressed a hand to her abdomen, feeling the raised skin where her stitches most likely made permanent residence now.

"Your family is here." Emily said cautiously and watched as Ana's eyes shot open and her head whipped sideways to face her.

"My what?" she asked, a look of horror spread on her face. Emily attempted to soothe the girl before her heart rate sped up too much for comfort.

"It's alright, they're really worried about you." She remembered Ana telling her that she had run away and apparently, with good reason. "They want to see you."

"No, no, you can't let them." Ana shrunk into her blankets further, hiding herself almost completely.

"Ana, they're your family and they missed you-"

"I said no!" her voice was firm and seemed to sap her of any energy she had. Ana dropped her head unceremoniously to the side and stared out the window to her left.

"Ok," Emily said softly. "Rest now. We can talk about it later."

"There's no talking about it Emily." Ana turned her body as much as she could, facing away from the door and Emily. "Tell them to leave. Tell them I don't want them here. Tell them I died for all I care, just _do not_ let them in this room." Emily was shocked to hear someone so adamant about avoiding their family and quite frankly, the thought scared her.

"I'll be outside." She informed the girl as she stood to leave, her legs stretching in protest. "Just…sleep on it." Emily stroked her hair to the side and after receiving no response, turned and left the room. She was faced with an equally confused looking JJ; both women seemingly thinking the same thing as they made their way to the rest of the team to discuss exactly what they should do to help a family who appeared beyond broken.

* * *

**Kind of a filler chapter for now. I think I'm going to write the beginning of a trail for those you that want it but skip the formalities and just let you know the results after all the drama has passed. Does that sound ok with everyone?**


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter XXXIX**

JJ ran a hand through her hair as she righted the freshly made ponytail. Sharing a look with Emily, the women rose to refill their coffee cups as the team waited for Hotch to finish his phone call with Strauss.

"What do you think they'll do?" JJ asked quietly. Emily shrugged.

"She _did_ break the law JJ." The brunette admitted.

"But she didn't-"

"I know." Emily added some much needed sugar into her steaming cup. "I know."

"What did she say when you told her about Hail?"

"She seemed more afraid of her family than him." Emily watched JJ's eyebrow rose. "I think she knows he can never hurt her again but she doesn't seem to trust her parents to do the same."

"What about her sister?" JJ crossed her arms as she waited for the pot to brew.

"What do you mean?"

"Did you tell her that Alexia is here too?"

"No actually, I don't think I did."

"I think we should try to leave the two alone for a little."

"Why?" Emily titled her head to the side.

"Well, I know that when I was upset the only person I wanted to see was my sister." JJ picked at her nails. "Even if I was mad at her, she always seemed to make it better when no one else could." Emily offered the blonde a sad smile and stroked her arm.

"Alright." She agreed and saw Aaron waving the two back towards the waiting room. "Let's see what the Dragon Lady said."

"Give us some good news Hotch." JJ grumbled as she sat next to the man. Hotch glanced warily around the room.

"We have to bring her in." Hotch sighed and took in the angered looks on everyone's faces. "Hail will be tried here but the crimes Ana committed were federal and Strauss wants her brought back to D.C as soon as possible."

"Does she know the details of the situation?" Emily asked, hoping to avoid getting Ana arrested. Hotch nodded solemnly.

"This isn't fair." JJ muttered and was met with nods around the room.

"I know but we still have to do our jobs."

"Sometimes our jobs suck." Morgan rose and seemed to be headed for the exit and some fresh air. Aaron approached Emily, acknowledging the defeated look on her face, and took her hands in his.

"They're right you know." Emily shook her head slowly. "This isn't right."

"Emily, she willingly broke the law." Hotch summed up. "Besides, a judge may rule in her favor."

"How am I supposed to tell her 'oh, sorry I got you kidnapped and shot but while I'm at it, I'm going to arrest you too'?" She felt Hotch tense as she finished.

"Emily, none of this was your fault." He took hold of her shoulders and squeezed slightly before giving her a little shake. "Do you hear me? There is nothing we could've done to prevent this."

"That doesn't stop me from feeling like this." She admitted, her voice low so that only he could hear what she had to say. She felt his hand on her chin, lifting it so that their gazes met. Hotch felt his heart break at the sadness that filled her dark eyes.

"We're going to fix this. I promise." His determination lifted Emily's spirit and a small smile made its way onto her lips.

"Thank you." She whispered as she placed her hands on his chest, feeling his heart beat accelerate once more. She leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on his lips before wrapping her arms around him. They both sighed as their nostrils filled with the others' scent and smiles couldn't help but expand on their faces. JJ, Rossi and Reid did their best to avoid staring at the couple but found it difficult to hide their own joyful expressions at their friends' happiness.

"Hi." A small voice snapped everyone out of their trance as their eyes searched for the source. Alexia Valerious stood at JJ's feet and looked up at the woman with big green eyes. JJ smiled as she knelt to face the girl.

"How was your nap Alexia?" She asked her in a sweet voice. The girl shrugged and lowered her gaze.

"M'sorry." She shuffled her feet on the floor and picked at the hem of her dress like before. JJ scooted closer to her.

"There's nothing to be sorry for." She told the girl who in an instant had her tiny arms wrapped around her neck in a tight hug. JJ rocked backwards slightly before placing her own arms around the small figure. She smiled at her teammates' expressions.

"_Alexia, ce faci?_" Sophie's voice called from behind the group as she entered the room. The little girl unwrapped herself from JJ but remained close to the blonde.

"I said sorry for sleeping on Jennifer." The little girl announced proudly.

"Good girl _dragă_." Her father smiled in approval before turning to Emily. "Were you with Ana?"

"Yes, I was." Emily extended her hand. "Emily Prentiss."

"Michel." The man shook her hand firmly. "How is she? When can we see her?"

"Mr. Valerious, I don't know if now is the best time." Emily said. "Ana is very tired and only manages to stay awake for less than a half hour at a time."

"Please, we need to see our daughter." Sophie leaned closer to her husband who wrapped a large arm around her shoulders. Emily felt increasingly bad for the family and had no idea how to tell them at Ana in fact, did not want to see them.

"Agent Prentiss and I were just discussing letting Alexia visit her first." JJ added and brought the attention back to her. The little girl in question looked delighted at the idea. "It'll be less stressful for Ana and Alexia clearly misses her sister."

"Please, _tătic_!" the little girl ran to her father and latched onto his leg. The man seemed powerless to resist her.

"Alright." He knelt down to Alexia's level and stroked her hair. "You tell her that we miss her so much and that we love her more than we can ever explain."

"And that we're sorry." Sophie added quickly. Alexia nodded, a look on concentration on the little girl's face, before taking Emily's hand and making her way towards her sister's room.

"Can Jennifer come too?" everyone heard the little voice ask. JJ, much like Michel, was incapable of denying her and quickly took the girl's other hand.

"Alexia, before we go in Emily and I have to tell you some things about your sister." JJ knelt down in front of Ana's door.

"She's going to be very tired." Emily explained. "But don't think that she doesn't want to see you, okay?" Alexia nodded. "You're going to see some wires and machines but don't let them scare you; they're helping Ana stay awake to talk to you, understand?"

"I understand." The little girl mused, clearly anxious to see her sister.

"I'll go in and let her know you're coming." Emily smiled at the wide grin on the girl's face before slowly entering the room. She approached the bed and saw Ana twitching in her sleep. The girl moaned and frowned as she gripped the bed sheets tightly between her fingers and Emily at once realized the signs of a vicious nightmare. She called her name and placed a hand on Ana's. The girl shot up, her eyes wide and her breathing short and rapid. "It's alright, Ana. It's okay."

"What?" Ana asked curtly as she righted herself amongst the covers. Emily leaned back and crossed her arms defensively.

"Someone's here to see you." She announced as she uncrossed her legs and started to stand.

"Emily, no!" Ana struggled to get out. "I don't want to see them!"

"It's not your parents." Emily remained unfazed by her outburst. "It's your sister."

"What?" Ana breathed out almost inaudibly.

"Your little sister wants to see you." Emily raised an eyebrow. "Is that alright with you?"

"Alexia…she's here?" Ana shook her head in confusion. "They actually brought her?"

"Of course they brought her, why wouldn't they?" Emily waited for a response that did not come. "Do you want to see her or not?"

"I shouldn't." Ana lowered her gaze in a manner similar to the way Alexia did.

"What are you talking about? She's dying to see you." Emily started getting aggravated.

"You think I don't want to see her too?" Ana raised her voice slightly.

"From the way you're acting, I don't think you want to see _anyone_!" Emily threw up her hands in exasperation.

"Maybe _you're_ the one I don't want to see!" Ana shouted back, her last breath hitching as her stitches protested.

"Fine." Emily raised her chin. "But I'm letting her in." With that she stormed to the door, opened it and ushered the little girl in without a word. Ana could hear her heels clicking as she rapidly made her away from her. _I shouldn't have said that! God, why do I always mess shit up?!_

"A-Ana?" a small voice came from her right and Ana immediately turned to meet it, wiping away some tears that had managed to escape.

"I'm right here." She cleared her throat and took in the sight of her now 7 year old sister. _Oh my God_. "Look how big you've-" Before she could complete the sentence, she felt little arms snake their way around her neck and pull her downwards forcefully. Ana winced slightly but ignored the pain as she hugged her baby sister for the first time in three years.

"I missed you so much." Alexia cried into her neck and Ana could do nothing to hold back her own tears.

"I missed you too _prințesă_." Ana stroked her sister's hair as her little shoulders shook with the force of her tears.

"M'so sorry." Immediately, Ana pulled back and took her face into her hands.

"No, this was not your fault. None of this was your fault. Do you understand me?" Ana wiped away any tear that dare stain her sister's face and watched as Alexia nodded before burrowing herself back into her neck. Ana used all her strength to pull her sister on to the bed and properly wrap her arms around her. The sound of Alexia's sobs only made Ana hate herself even more. _I'm the cause of all this pain. If it wasn't for me, none of this would have happened._

"You okay?" Alexia asked suddenly between sobs.

"Of course I'm okay." Ana scoffed and continued to stroke her sister's beautifully braided hair. "Your hair got so long."

"So did yours." Alexia played with a handful of Ana's hair. "Ana?"

"Yes?"

"Where have you been?" Alexia's innocent question caused her sister's heart to skip a beat. Ana knew she couldn't tell her the full story now but in a few years, when Alexia was old enough to understand exactly what had happened, Ana knew she had a right to know.

"New York." She answered.

"Where the big buildings are?" Alexia looked up in amusement and Ana couldn't help but snicker.

"Yes, where the big buildings are."

"Did you like it?"

"For a while." Ana shrugged.

"Why didn't you leave after you stopped liking it?"

"I'll explain to you when you're older."

"But you said that three years ago!" Alexia pouted. "I'm older now."

"Not for this, you aren't." Ana playfully jabbed her sister's side and the little girl squealed. _Good to know some things never change_.

"Will you take me to the buildings sometime?" Alexia asked when she had stopped laughing.

"I'll take you anywhere you want." Ana promised. Being away from the girl for such a long time only enhanced the undying love she had for her and the thought of leaving her again left Ana in physical pain.

"I want to go home." Alexia admitted and Ana sighed.

"Momma and Daddy will take you home soon." Had the girl already grown bored of her?

"No, not that home. The other one." Ana sighed again.

"Lexi, you know that's not possible." She remembered the countless times they had had this exact conversation.

"Why not?"

"You know why."

"But that was a long time ago."

"Then how do you even remember if it was so long ago?"

"I remember."

"You were _three_."

"I remember!" Alexia protested and Ana backed down.

"Alright, you remember. But we still can't go back." As Alexia opened her mouth to protest, Ana covered it with her hand. "Can we talk about this another time?"

"Ok." Alexia frowned. "Oh, momma and daddy wanted me to tell you that they miss you. And that they love you. And that they're sorry."

"They told you that?" Ana leaned back to get a better look at her sister's face. Alexia nodded furiously and Ana frowned in return. "You don't believe them."

"I don't know." Ana admitted.

"It's true."

"Oh really?" Alexia began nodding again. "How do you know?"

"Momma cries a lot." Alexia lowered her head and started to pick at the sheets. "And daddy doesn't stay home that much."

"I'm really sorry Lexi." Ana began an apology that would last for the rest of their lives. "I never wanted that."

"I know. You just didn't want to be sad anymore." The little girl shrugged it off nonchalantly.

"Yea, that's right." Ana hugged her sister tightly and yawned. "I don't want you to be sad either." Alexia looked up and noticed that Ana's eyes had begun to close.

"I'm not." She promised. "Not anymore." And with that the sisters fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

**Always wanted a baby sister, sigh. **


End file.
